Changing History
by Imogen07
Summary: After learning of the Light Leader's betrayal, Harry is struggling with the idea of still standing beside Albus Dumbledore in the war effort against Voldemort, only fighting to be used time and time again. So Time decides to thrust Harry back into the past in order to help him find some answers. Dark!Harry Time!Travel TMR/HP AU light bashing. EDITED.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: After learning of the Light Leader's betrayal, Harry is struggling with the idea of still standing beside Albus Dumbledore in the war effort against Voldemort, only fighting to be used time and time again. With Sirius gone, the Weasleys suddenly against him and Hermione giving him the cold shoulder, Harry couldn't help but find himself lonely and stumbles upon the Black Family Library. It was then that he finally delved deep into the Dark Arts, trying to understand what he had misunderstood so greatly. In the end, a decision was made to visit an alternate plane of existence in order to search for answers that'll help with the war. How is going to school with Tom Riddle going to affect Harry now that his perception of the 'Dark' has changed?

Warning: Dark Harry, multiple slash ending in HP/TMR and violence. Rating is also T but _will_ go up to M.

DISCLAIMER: Anything you recognize belongs to J.K Rowling however, anything you do not, belongs to me. Also, this fanfic has been inspired by Aariya07's Hollow Thunder, Vital Lightning so credit goes to her as well for being my inspiration! If you haven't read her fanfiction I suggest you do because it's a brilliant piece of work. Finally the bit about debts in chap 2 was stolen from whitedwarf's Enduring Obsessions. You simply must read the fic. **These disclaimers apply for the entire fic.**

Anyways, on with the story...

''Speech''

_Thought_

_''Parseltongue''_

* * *

Harry looked down at the necklace blankly then back to the handsome face directly before him.

''I have done everything in my power to make you the best, now it is down to you to decide what to make of yourself. It was a pleasure to have known you Harry. Good luck.'' The deep, gentle voice of Ethan Karys did little to comfort the boy who lived, as a sad smile lingered on his lips.

Vaguely, Harry wondered about what he was leaving behind before deciding that there wasn't much worth thinking about. That is unless you count traitors, manipulators and back stabbers. Harry shook his head, this wasn't the time to think about the past, not when he was just about to make a new future for himself. One that, if accurately amended, would greatly contribute to the outcome of the war.

''Goodbye Ethan. I'll miss you.'' whispered the raven haired boy, finding it too hard to say goodbye to the brother he never had and one of the few loyal friends he did have.

Then, with one last fierce hug, Harry grabbed hold of his letter and emerald trunk before activating the golden necklace that hung around his neck. With a loud pop, Harry Potter had disappeared, aware of the chaos that would soon ensue as the Light realized they had lost their weapon and also knowing fully that Dumbledore would be absolutely furious.

* * *

''So you say that you are the last remaining heir of the Karys family?'' asked a curious Armando Dippet, his eyes straying to the ice blue stone that sat on Harry's third finger on his left hand. The Headmaster's eyes then skimmed the writing before him, carefully inspecting the letter in his hand, or to be more specific, the vague details of the green eyed boy in front of him.

In his head, Harry silently thanked Ethan vehemently for going through an inheritance ritual for him, for he was now the sole heir of the most Noble and Ancient House of Karys 1944. Being transported back to 1944 meant that he was no longer Heir to the Potter or Black House since and Heir already existed- but Ethan, being the kind-hearted brother he was to Harry, offered him the ownership of his family vaults since throughout the Karys history, ownership was not always handed down by family but on rare occasions, by power and strength.

At first Harry adamantly refused but Ethan had pushed and pushed until Harry opted for an exchange. In return for the Heirship of the Karys family during 1944, Ethan would be in charge of maintaining the Potter and Black Houses. This meant being able to take out and put in money, books and magical artifacts, it also meant being able to create alliances with the other houses and drawing up magical contracts and more. Since Ethan refused to become the heir for the two Houses they both decided this was the next best thing because the sandy haired man clearly stated his firm allegiance to the Karys House in which he was borne of.

Regarding the matter of any other remaining Karys family, Harry had done his homework and found there was a deceased son who's prior existence would prove useful for Harry if he were to claim that that he himself was an illegitimate son; he had several theories to back up his story and also the heir's ring.

''That is correct Headmaster. Since my mother is now deceased, it is up to me to continue our line and live up to my families expectations however, in order to do that I must of course first complete my education.'' Harry faked a perfectly forlorn smile at his 'mother's' death, suppressing a smirk as Dippet's gaze began to soften.

"Yes, I quite understand child." The Headmaster replied in a grave tone of voice. "The war has taken many lives but we survivors must unite under the Dark Lord's wrath and prove to be stronger."

"Quite." Harry responded curtly.

Dippet was now even more intrigued about Harry's past and ploughed on further. Obviously, the man wasn't well acquainted with the history of the Karys' so Harry was spared an even more intense interrogation. After all, the Karys clan was one for seclusion and secrecy, not many knew about them, not much was known about them by those who _were_ privy to sensitive information and so they remained an enigma.

Harry calmly answered all the man's questions as vaguely as possible and once the man decided that he was not going to get much out of him, he settled for welcoming him to Hogwarts and informing him about the sorting.

From the lack of questions he was being asked about how he had managed to escape the Dark wizards and such, he figured that transfer students were not rare because of the war on the wizarding world's proverbial doorstep.

''And what did you say your full name was Mr. Karys?'' inquired Dippet, looking at him atop square framed glasses. The look he gave Harry was one of intrigue, not dissimilar to the way in which one may look at a puzzle when bored beyond measure.

''Hadrian Ethan Karys.''

The green eyed boy's tone depicted a distinct predatory threat and the Headmaster frowned internally at the niggling sense of anticipation in his gut as he nodded and waved the boy away.

* * *

It was the first of September and the Slytherin table sat in a cold, calm manner. They weren't gushing like Hufflepuffs, shrewdly analyzing like Ravneclaws and certainly not screaming like the Gryffindors as the first years were sorted but instead kept the image of stoic but polite company.

The seventh year Purebloods were coolly inspecting the sorting, not revealing the true painful boredom they actually felt whilst the Head Boy, Tom Riddle, was keeping an eye out for any potential first years harboring excessive power in their untrained little cores.

All of a sudden, Tom felt a pull. He couldn't put his finger on it but it felt decidedly pleasurable and made his magic sing; his aura started to writhe under his skin as another alien presence called to him. Ribbons of his own Dark and wild magic began to curl around him comfortably and caressed his body softly. As he was delighting in the feeling, realization dawned on him- it was someone's magical aura. Black tendrils of magic with a silvery hue made his senses go crazily awry and intoxicated him as he discretely inhaled it through his nose and basked in the sensation. The feeling was not oppressive still, neither was it demanding but alas it was only there for a minute before it was being pulled back to it's owner. Although it was gone, Tom could still sense the tingling, burning feel, leaving no trace it was other there. Other than the goosebumps on Tom's skin. He silently vowed to discover the source.

The grey eyed boy was immediately on alert. He knew no one at Hogwarts had an aura remotely similar to this but even if they did he would've known; Dumbledore had an insanely large white aura with specks of curious black in the middle - not to mention the fact that Dumbledore's magic was far from pleasurable but forcibly comforting. His fellow Slytherins had a grey flecked with black and it couldn't have been anyone else because he had already evaluated everyone who had passed through Hogwarts' doors thoroughly. This made him even more suspicious and paranoid as the sorting wore on.

Time was moving slowly as Tom's senses became more and more agitated by each passing minute and he had to clench his jaw slightly to refrain from growling at the mutterings beside him.

Finally, after the last first years were sat at the table, Dippet stood up to make his usual start of term announcements.

''Before I inform anyone of the important notifications for this year, there is one more student the sorting hat must sort.'' Dippet then nodded to a figure at the doors of the Great Hall which everyone had failed to notice.

Tom however, was instantly on his guard.

_Who is this mysterious person? Is it not a first year? Why must he be sorted right at the end? _

Thoughts were making his head reel and none of his questions were answered until a figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

It was a boy.

Said boy had raven black hair which reached the nape of his neck in a just-rolled-out-of-bed way and framed his face perfectly. His face held full rosy lips which were pulled slightly at the corners of his mouth in what Tom recognized as a sardonic smile; though it could also be mistaken as innocent and awed by the more optimistic people.

A small elvish nose which turned up slightly at the end sat between strongly defined cheek bones and over a firm, square jaw whilst, emerald, almond shaped eyes were piercing through every eye it encountered. The same eyes were framed by long, dark eye lashes which gave him a slightly unperturbed look which you could get easily lost in. Tom wandered what could give you such a disconcerting but beautiful eye colour.

The green-eyed boy also held himself in a confident but not yet arrogant manner and displayed elegance that not even the most practiced Pureblood could. His moves were fluid and strong and if not for the fact that his feet were seen hitting the ground, it would've seemed like he was gliding.

As he passed candles, it seemed like his obsidian locks were tinged with red but coupled with his expressionless face and regal gait, it made him seem rather cruel. More than one person felt the shivers caressing their spines as the malignant air the boy seemed to hold for fleeting seconds washed over them.

The newcomer was untouchable.

The entire Great Hall assessed him hungrily, girls sighing dreamily while their male equivalents looked on enviously and Professors watching on curiously. The Slytherin Purebloods were also looking on with great interest, carefully concealing their surprise at seeing someone other than Tom Riddle display such a confident yet dignified manner.

It seemed to take forever for the boy to eventually reach the raised platform and some were disappointed to see that they couldn't see him up close anymore.

''This young man will be joining Hogwarts for his seventh year,'' Dippet continued as some lower years let out sighs of disappointment while the seventh years sat up straighter in their seats ''his name is Hadrian Karys and since transfer students aren't such rarities any more I hope that all of you will make him feel welcome like you've done with other students.''

Low murmurs filled the Hall and whispers were exchanged between attentive ears. Some of the Purebloods also adopted a conspiring glance.

''Karys, Karys, I'm fairly sure that it is not a common Wizarding families name though it _does_ ring a bell...'' Rabastan Lestrange mused in a hushed whisper so only the other Purebloods could hear.

''I agree, I remember a distant relative mentioning it once I think but I can't seem to recall the memory.'' Abraxas Malfoy eyed the boy on the raised platform suspiciously whilst Tom was also contemplating Hogwarts' latest arrival.

_How very curious, the boy can't be a mudblood if I'm sensing that much power from him however, he continues to be a threat until I can get more information. Perhaps he'll be wanting a friend in this giant castle, after all it could get lonely being all by yourself... I'll be sure to welcome him with open arms._

Looking around he saw that specific groups of Purebloods on the three other table also had their heads together and a Ravenclaw was even noting everything down on a spare bit of parchment.

The minutes seemed to stretch into hours when in fact the sorting had only been six minutes long. Longer than average but not the longest.

Students and Professor's alike were perched on the edge of their chairs in eagerness and Tom could also see Dumbledore inspect the boy without the annoying twinkle in his eye.

Finally, the Hat ripped at the brim and screamed...

''SLYTHERIN''

The Great Hall sat for a minute. Stunned. Gryffindors sagged, Hufflepuffs blinked and Ravenclaws shared a calculative look but Hadrian had aroused the Slytherin's cynicism. Finally the snakes started politely clapping.

Hadrian jumped down off of the platform and calmly walked to the end of the Slytherin table. It seemed that he could not hear the rest of the whispers that enshrouded the Great Hall but he could. Hadrian just had a lot of practice in ignoring them.

When he had decided to come to this time, Hadrian was thinking about finally having a quiet life whilst surreptitiously completing his mission but apparently, stare and whispers stalked him like his own shadow.

However, instead of blushing and looking nervous like the previous Gryffindor he was, he instead wore an impassive and cold mask. When he noticed that several Slytherins were looking at him with dubious expressions, he merely inclined his head before sitting down to begin his feast.

Tom was getting impatient though. He had wanted the boy to introduce himself to him and then the Prefect would've warmly welcomed him and provided him with a support. Clearly, the boy was not the talkative type.

The Purebloods all shifted curiously in their seats, vying for a closer look at the newcomer and Tom swallowed his sneer. They were supposed to be presenting themselves as calm and collected not as a bunch of fidgeting idiots.

''Good evening. Headmaster Dippet probably hasn't informed yet but I am Tom Riddle, a Prefect and Head Boy. Usually, I show you around and help you out until you feel comfortable with your classes, lessons and such. So if you need anything don't hesitate to ask.'' The grey eyed boy spoke softly, motioning for people to get out of the way so he could see Hadrian properly. He would've also shook his hand but leaning over the table was so undignified.

Tom stared directly at the Karys Heir and smiled so the full brunt of his charm fell upon him, but he also saw for the first time that Hadrian's eyes were a strange Avada Kedavra green that swirled with hidden power and knowledge.

Hadrian continued to stare at him with an inscrutable mask.

It was then that Tom did something he had never done for as long as he could remember. He hesitated. And it annoyed him a great deal actually. Sensing Tom's annoyance, the Malfoy Heir took over.

''Good evening, I am Abraxas Jaculus Malfoy.'' The pale blonde held out a hand to shake and was relieved when Hadrian shook it firmly. He also felt a spark of familiarity shoot up his arm.

Hadrian's lips turned up in a small, secretive smile as he saw a flicker of surprise flash through Abraxas' silver eyes. Most people wouldn't see that flicker but Hadrian wasn't most people. The raven haired boy cocked his head to the right slightly before a pensive look befell his face as he took in Malfoy's sharp features.

Abraxas had a full head of platinum blonde hair that fell midway down his back and from what Hadrian could see, a muscular and toned body. A thin pointed chin struck out pompously and soft, pink lips were pouting slightly. Hadrian vaguely wondered if Abraxas would whimper and moan for him like his grandson did if Hadrian were to suck on his neck. Ahh Draco was certainly more entertaining as a bed warmer rather than an enemy. He had livened up Hadrian's sixth year impossibly. A ghost of a smirk appeared on his lips as he grinned darkly. He would have to test that theory.

Meanwhile, Abraxas was slightly anxious at the wild look on Hadrian's face. If the Karys Heir lived up to a tenth of his name, he would surely leave Abraxas dead for the Thestrals.

_Strange... where had that thought come from...?_

''It's a pleasure to meet you Abraxas. I'm Hadrian Ethan Karys, but please call me Hadrian.'' Harry shot him a small smile that would have the entire of the Great Hall weak at the knees whilst those of the Slytherin Table were still secretly marveling at his voice.

Hadrian spoke in an playful tone that also had an authoritative edge to it. It was as if his words were chosen meticulously and his voice sounded rusty with misuse. Also, when he said his surname, it was accentuated by a slight hiss ending in boys and girls alike to feel a spike of arousal.

Abraxas eventually pushed his intrigue to the back of his mind, shifting into a more inconspicuous persona and decided to start conversation with an easy and relatively safe topic.

''Then I must extend the favor and ask you to call me Abraxas. So, Hadrian, what is your opinion of Hogwarts so far?'' The Malfoy Heir was genuinly curious since no one knew what Hadrian was used to or preferred and his opinion would provide an insight on some of his personality.

Hadrian thought about what to say before settling on a simple phrase which couldn't be picked apart and shrewdly analyzed.

''It is unexpected.''

The Purebloods were all nodding politely, attempting to not disclose the awkwardness they felt. There were lots of things that could be depicted from that three worded answer and none of them could be sure about anything. It was becoming tiring.

''Dear me Abraxas, have you forgotten your manners?'' Harry raised a perfectly arched eyebrow before he turned towards the sound of the haughty voice and saw that it belonged to a pretty brunette. ''Do introduce the rest of us.''

''Of course Lucretia, how silly of me.'' Abraxas shot her an amused smile before introducing the rest of the Purebloods.

Hadrian payed careful attention to the Purebloods and recognized most of the Black's from their family tree. He also referenced them from Sirius' mini history lesson.

There was Lucretia Black and Elladora Black amongst the Black males and the girls had shiny black hair reaching their backs with sharp blue eyes. Sixth year Orion Black was the brother of seventh year Regulus Black who shared a cousin called Alphard Black also in his seventh year. Hadrian distinctly remembered that Alphard was the uncle who lent Sirius money when he decided to run away. The Black males had straight black hair and had the trademark blue eyes that belonged to all the Blacks. There was also a Eloise Rosier with perfect honey blonde hair and Stacey Moon, a pretty brunette. Antonin Dolohov seemed to be Tom's right hand and was a pale blonde who looked overly suspicious of Hadrian though Hadrian didn't particularly care. There were also a few more that Hadrian remembered and over all the Purebloods were a prim and proper bunch.

The rest of the feast passed smoothly and Hadrian was amused to see that the Purebloods grabbed him before he could walk away. It seemed that they wanted to make sure he didn't get lost or get into danger but Hadrian knew that if he were visibly to appear as a mudblood they would not have even batted an eyelid. But he humored them in the end.

The Slytherin Common room was much like the one he had visited in his second year when he, Hermione and Ron suspected that Draco Malfoy was the Heir of Slytherin.

It was decorated lavishly with plush, green armchairs, low coffee tables and cozy, emerald green rugs. The golden lights added to the fact that the room was under the lake meant that the room was lit in a soft green light. Another thing that Harry noticed was that in the center of the room was a circle of chairs and at the head was one particularly grand, high, wing backed chair that practically screamed ''importance''-he wondered if he could get away with sitting on it- Hadrian had no trouble guessing who was at the top of the Slytherin Hierarchy. Though he gave no indication that he knew anything.

The girls bid the boys good night and then Hadrian was led to his bed in the snake's lair.

After entering the room, the green-eyed boy quickly spotted a bed with his name engraved on a plaque and so he made a bee-line towards it. The rest of the males equally scattered towards their own beds, mumbling ''good nights'' as they changed into their pajamas whilst Hadrian cleaned his teeth in an unsurprisingly luxurious bathroom.

And then as soon as his head hit his pillow, he was fast asleep. Not before putting up wards around his bed mind you.

* * *

In the morning Hadrian was up just before the sun rose so he decided to go to the courtyards near the lake to engage in a heavy workout since he had been slacking off a great deal.

Once there he performed all his exercises with the fluidity of a dancer. Lately, he had been trained in the arts of combat and his physique had to be top notch or else his performance would suffer.

Several mermaids had popped out of the water to closely watch Hadrian before other creatures joined in, meaning that the merfolk had to retreat to safety. Even the giant squid waved a slimy tentacle in good humor.

Looking again at the sun, Hadrian could tell that it was time to go back up to his dorm before having a shower and proceeding to breakfast. So he jogged back up the dungeons and opened the entrance to the Slytherin common room with whispered parseltongue(he didn't even need to remember the passwords with this nifty little trick),

He also wondered about the schedule he'd get for classes later on in the morning.

Half jogging up to his dorm, Hadrian wondered about what exactly he should be doing now that he was in 1945. He mused about his experience so far and contemplated the year in which Grindelwald would be defeated by Dumbledore. Perhaps he should get involved in some politics to amuse himself for some time.

Shaking his head, Hadrian silently entered his dorm room to see that everyone was still sleeping, even Tom.

_Well it is still 5:30 AM_

He carelessly shrugged his shoulders and went to take a shower before breakfast.

* * *

Annoyed was a major understatement for what Tom currently felt at the moment. He was supposed to be helping Karys out by showing him the way to breakfast only to find that the raven haired boy was missing. Literally.

None of the boys saw hide nor hair of him since last night and Antonin reported that his bed looked like it wasn't even slept in.

''Well this is getting ridiculous. The boy was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago and now we will be late for breakfast.'' Tom growled in displeasure at the utter insolence Hadrian displayed. They had a routine for Merlin's sake! The First years would go in first and sit nearest to the Professor's table, and then the second years would go in and so on. This meant that the older you were the more distanced you were from the teachers and you had your own privacy. However, the elite would sit in their assigned seats in the middle of the table so they were equidistant from the entrance to the Great Hall and their Professors. It also looked more organized to walk in in an orderly fashion like the Slytherins they should act like rather than in the disarray other Houses entered in.

Truth be told, no one exactly told Hadrian to be down and waiting but none of the boys wanted to get hexed. The girls had also gone to breakfast ten minutes ago.

''Shall we carry one without him? He might already be there.'' Abraxas spoke boldly in a soft tone, not wanting to displease Tom any further. It would do no one any good.

Eventually, Tom let out a short sigh which was saturated with annoyance before nodding curtly. Perhaps the boy had already gone to breakfast, though Tom doubted it since the castle was huge and he could easily get himself lost.

Alphard hollered at the First Years to get a move on and then they were on their way to the Great Hall.

Hadrian was contently sipping at a cup of black coffee whilst completely ignoring the food on his plate. Since his time with the Dursley's, Hadrian could only eat a small amount of food and he was still full from last night's feast. From his inheritance into the Karys House, he had also begun to abhor the vile concoction that was pumpkin juice or any type of fatty or greasy meat.

He sat in the middle of the table with his back to the wall, in solitude, and watched the rest of the student body converse with each other, shooting him curious glances from time to time. He had purposefully avoided sitting in yesterday's seat purely to amuse himself seeing the disorganized seating arrangement but he knew no one would do anything. If only for the fact that he was still under observation. Currently he sat in Rabastan's seat but the latter only raised a brow and proceeded to a vacated seat that was supposed to be Hadrian's.

He noticed that the female part of the Slytherin Purebloods were also looking at each other before discretely sliding their eyes to the door, as if waiting for someone.

Ignoring all the looks, stares and whispers he got, Hadrian tried his best not to pull Dumbledore's twinkling eyes out of his head. It was positively infuriating the way the now auburn hair Dumbledore would smile jovially at him even when Hadrian pointedly ignored him.

Now that he noticed it, Hadrian also saw most of the Professors would briefly glance at him before quickly looking away when they met his cold eyes.

Out of the corner of his eye, Hadrian saw the rest of the seventh year Slytherins take their seats as the firsties bustled round looking for a space to sit. He also saw how Tom was sending pointed looks as some of the boys.

''So Karys, we were waiting for you in the Common Room.'' Alphard spoke up in a curious tone and Hadrian smirked slightly but didn't reply.

The young Black looked at the rest of the Slytherin table, as if in wont of assistance yet no one rose to the plea. It was quite amusing actually. Some of the other Purebloods tried to initiate conversation too, before they too gave up to Hadrian's clipped answers. That only lasted for so long before everyone was up for another round of Interrogate Hadrian.

''So Karys, what classes are you taking?'' Tom decided to take charge of the situation considering that the rest of his elite were stumbling over each other trying to force words out of Hadrian's mouth.

Everyone watched as the raven haired teen slowly sipped at his coffee before letting out a small hum. This was a chance for Tom to regard the boy's worth and his chosen subjects would provide an insight on Hadrian's personality, like if he preferred Herbology to Potions because it was less taxing or he, himself, was too lazy to put in an effort.

''Well hopefully I'll be taking: Transfiguration, Potions, Care of Magical Creatures, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, History of Magic, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Charms and Magical Theory. I would've liked to study Alchemy as well however, Headmaster Dippet told me that there wasn't a high enough demand. Rather disappointing actually.'' Hadrian took another sip of his black coffee, oblivious to the gaping mouths displayed in front of him.

''Merlin! Ten subjects?! That's just like your schedules going to be Tom, though you've got Astronomy instead of Care of Magical Creatures.'' Alphard looked horrified at the amount of effort that would need to be put into that workload and seemed as if he really pitied Hadrian.

It was just then that Professor Slughorn came by to pass out the schedules and Hadrian noticed a particularly curious look aimed at him. While the others were cross referencing their schedules however, Hadrian was wondering about what the day would bring.


	2. Chapter 2

''... N.E.W.T Year is the most important year of your Hogwarts education as it determines your career path for when you finally leave. Some may want to further your education by taking up apprenticeships, some may want to work in the Ministry or some may even take up Healing. You might not want to do anything at all! However your N.E.W.T.s remain compulsory I'm afraid.''

A younger Filius Flitwick beamed cheerily from his seat on top of a stack of books, his smile stretching further as some Hufflepuffs let out resigned sighs. Not letting that stop him, he ploughed on further until the class of Slytherins and Hufflepuffs reached the main objective of their lessons today.

''Now I wont bore you on the first day back, since I just _know_ that you've already revised your Theory for this term,'' Hadrian inwardly let out a snort of amusement, Flitwick was just giving the Puffs a chance to catch up later ''Though I don't want you to forget what we did at the end of last year. So as a quick refresher, I want you to produce birds to fly out of the end of your wand. ''

A few Hufflepuffs blinked dazedly, their eyes just coming into focus as the Professor finished his mini lecture. One of them raised a hand to inquire about the incantation, only to find that it was up to them to figure it out for themselves.

Turning away from his classmates across the room from him, Hadrian focused on his wand.

''Avis!'' He drawled in an bored tone of voice and unsurprisingly, an entire flock of white doves swooped out of the tip of his wand and went soaring in and out of the windows.

For a minute he watched them fly over various students, wondering what it would be like to be an animal; a being that was not weighed down by the burdens of life. It really must be amazing to live life knowing that there is nothing you've got to live up to, no great expectations. But alas, Hadrian was human.

_I wonder if I could somehow become a magic creature? Perhaps a vampire? No. A Werewolf? Gods no, why would anyone actually want that. Hmm... A swamp monster? I could accompany the Giant Squid... perhaps not._

A squeaky shout from the front of the room interrupted Hadrian's train of thoughts and forced his head to snap in the direction of the sound.

''Marvelous! 10 points to Slytherin, Mr Karys! Boys and girls, this is the level of work I expect of you throughout the year of course it...''

Yet again, Hadrian's attention flew- pun not intended in another direction and soon he had stopped listening all together, instead deciding to watch the rest of his peers attempt the same charm.

A few spaces away, sat a calculative Tom Riddle, stopping at times to analyse the work of his classmates. Tom had also produced half a dozen sparrows just seconds after Hadrian himself, though the raven haired boy remained oblivious.

From what Tom could see the boy possessed a fair amount of talent if he could produce such a detailed piece of work so quickly. It was also intriguing, since this meant that the boy was either an accomplished Pureblood or a shockingly powerful Mudblood. Though Tom doubted the latter considering Karys' elegant posture. Then there was the possibility of the boy being a half blood...

If Tom wasn't so practiced at staying composed at the most straining of times, he would've had to tear his soft, brown locks out of his head simply because of the mysterious new boy. He never did like the feeling of being ignorant but at the same time he still did love a good mystery.

The class was soon dismissed and the Slytherins swept out of a bird filled classroom and were on their way to transfiguration. Hadrian was about to walk off on his own before Lucretia Black latched on to his arm.

''So Hadrian, that was some amazing charm-work you displayed in class. I was really impressed. Where were you taught before coming to Hogwarts?'' The pretty brunette batted thick eyelashes at Hadrian whilst blood red nails gripped his arm in a vice like grip. For a moment, the raven haired teen had to veil his disgust at being touched by someone.

But he was also slightly bemused to see how Black was attempting to 'seduce' an answer out of him.

Hadrian slowly blinked his own long eyelashes as if unsure to reveal a bit of his past and pretended not to notice how most of the Slytherins 'discreetly' strained their ears to hear.

''I was home schooled.'' The soft tone was presented with a perfectly arched eyebrow and shook of Lucretia's arm before proceeding in the direction of the Transfiguration rooms, despite supposedly not knowing his away around the castle yet.

Tom pursed his lips in irritation as he watched the raven boy stalk off. He knew that during class Dumbledore would also be attempting to worm information out of Hadrian however, Tom didn't enjoy having his puzzles worked out for him. The wizened old man may also try Legilimency as a desperate approach. A sneer marred the Head Boy's face. Perhaps the Deputy would think Karys as a follower of Grindelwald, trying to infiltrate Hogwarts and bring it down from the inside. He also had doubted Karys being able to detect a legilimency attack since Dumbledore entered minds slowly and swiftly, or that's what Antonin told him. Dumbledore himself never attempted to breach Tom's mind and the brunette applauded him on not being completely stupid.

As the group of Slytherins entered they saw Karys already seated in the middle of the room, the front being occupied by a sparse group of Gryffindors and the back empty and waiting for the House of Snakes.

At the front, Dumbledore was perched behind a desk, his auburn haired head jauntily swaying from side to side as Dumbledore hummed a merry tune. The gingerbread men on the wizard's orange robes also skipped freely around gingerbread houses, smiling and giggling. It was truly a terrifying site to behold.

One would think that Albus Dumbledore would be in a much more serious state of mind considering the war around Europe already beginning to settle on the outskirts of Britain, but the old man was proving to be quite unaffected by all of it. However Tom Riddle didn't believe a single bit of the grandfatherly act Dumbledore put on, the Deputy was a man of many masks which could be altered at the merest situations. Like in the Ministry of Magic, the Wizards in charge of England always looked to Dumbledore to help with most of the disruptions the war caused. They really believed that crouching behind Dumbledore would protect their own hides just because a few people claimed that Dumbledore was the only one Grindelwald was 'afraid of'. It was pathetic to think that the safety of Britain was held in the hands of such incompetent wizards.

''Come in, come in children. Take your seats quickly, Mr Prewett please cease all talk about what you and Ms Hazelworth got up to in an empty compartment during the train ride, for such conversations shall have to take place during spare time, lest my ears begin to close in on themselves. Thank you.'' Dumbledore stood from his desk and eyed a red head sternly, but with the ever present twinkle in his eye.

''Right, I will not bore you with the same N.E.W.T exam speech all the Professors seem inclined to lecture their students with. I'm sure you'll be hearing it for the rest of the week and will waste time day dreaming or passing notes instead of listening, be it my class or another's. Therefore, I do not want to waste time in babbling when I could be easily teaching you something more interesting. Nonetheless, I'm afraid a slight bit of Theory is necessary, because I do believe most of you haven't completed the summer reading I assigned.'' The auburn haired wizard graced each student with a too happy grin and most Slytherins almost recoiled in horror. Even some of the more composed ones.

''Who can tell me what the term 'vanishing' means in Transfiguration and what is it's opposite?'' One Gryffindor and several Slytherins put up the arms coolly, waiting to be picked upon. However, Dumbledore went straight to the third row and picked the new boy.

Hadrian cocked his head to the side and let out a soft hum as his Professor's expectant yet curious eyes landed on him. Obviously the man wanted to test his intelligence.

''Let's give our new student a chance shall we? Well Mr Karys?'' the Deputy beamed at the raven haired boy, not caring that he received not a shred of emotion back.

''Vanishment is the art of causing things to Vanish; to make things go into non-being and is considered one of the hardest transfigurations to be tested on in one's_ O.W.L_s. The difficulty of the Vanishment to be performed positively correlates with the complexity of the organism to be Vanished, for example, invertebrates are easier to Vanish than vertebrates. Only one incantation is needed to Vanish any object - _Evanesco_ , Latin for 'disappear'

''Conjuration is the art of conjuring things- bringing things into being and hence is the opposite of Vanishment. It is harder than its counter-part, being a N.E.W.T level feat. One should note that there are numerous restrictions- both in Law and Nature placed on the art of Conjuration, unlike Vanishment which appears to be unrestricted. For example, something that is conjured will not last or, 'remain in being' but it is unknown whether or not something that is vanished could forever remain in non-being if left to its own devices.''

Hadrian smiled humbly as pretty much the whole class slowly turned to look at him, and blinked once or twice. Perhaps it was too much information at once. Or the fact that it was probably the longest the Slytherins had heard Hadrian talk for. Pity it would be the only time. Dumbledore also appeared to be too shocked to notice the snarky comment of vanishing being a fifth year feat to frown upon Hadrian.

''Well done Mr Karys! 15 points to Slytherin! A most marvelous explanation, one that I wasn't expecting but hope the rest of you will read about for homework. Now, I firstly want you all to practice the Vanishing spell as part of our unTransfiguration scheme up until Christmas. Well get a move on!'' Dumbledore turned back to go to his desk, not caring about the scraping of chairs and the scramble to get up and be the first one to complete the fifth year spell.

Dumbledore had not specified on what to vanish exactly, so ties, shoes and parchment were disappearing all over the classroom as Gryffindors took advantage of the fact. Next to Hadrian, Abraxas was waiting to receive the raven haired boy's attention.

''I must admit Hadrian your choice to be home schooled leaves me wondering what sort of experts were employed to teach you.'' said the pale blonde, suspicion colouring his tone.

The Malfoy Heir suppressed the urge to recoil slightly as verdant eyes turned slowly but sharply to pierce him with indifferent yet somehow slightly cold eyes. And then all of a sudden the dangerous gleam in his emerald eyes was replaced with good humour.

''My dear Abraxas, I must wonder as to what I've done to warrant your skepticism.'' The polite words paired with eyes that briefly flashed a darker jade only furthered a suspicion the blonde held, as only Tom could make him feel so unnerved and disconcerted with mere words spoken without emotions. Struggling to gaze directly into Hadrian's eyes, Abraxas gathered all the confidence he could muster and spoke with more a more self-assured tone than he felt.

''Your response to Professor Dumbledore's question would be an O level answer in our N.E.W.T.s; The Professor was only looking for a brief overview since many students can barely manage that, yet your the detail of your explanation could be rarely matched.''Abraxas withheld from telling the raven haired boy that only Tom could manage it, since it didn't particularly matter.

''Oh? Well I'm afraid I can say nothing else but thank you.'' Hadrian then promptly turned away, not bothering to see the flash of uncertainty that lingered in the blonde's eyes for a second. Instead green eyes watched Dumbledore as he cleared his throat.

''Well done! I had no doubts that you would manage that simple _Evanesco._ If you hadn't I would've been questioning my teaching skills for your fifth year but I am glad to say that you are a very accomplished class of witches and wizards. Now, on to the second spell.

''As Mr Karys said, conjuration is a very difficult branch of Transfiguration. The Principle of Artificianimate Quasi-Dominance, for those of you who do not know , is a Magical Law stating that so many things could go wrong during conjuration. Such as severed heads, indeterminate stumps and hybrid animals. But for today, we shan't be practicing on frog-rabbits I'm afraid, because I do believe you need to read the Theory in detail. It is chapter 43 in your textbooks, and I expect a foot long, double sided piece of parchment on it. That is all, you may now get of to your next lessons.''

Dumbledore merrily waved his class off and sat down at his desk with his brows furrowed. The missing twinkle in his eye was the only proof that the Deputy Head was deep in thought.

* * *

''Today, you shall be brewing a shrinking potion individually. The name is a big clue for its purpose and I'm sure that you'll be more than capable of brewing it. The instructions are on the board and you will have the whole lesson. The first to complete it will receive 20 points for their House.''

Professor Slughorn quickly gave them their instructions and let them at it. He couldn't really be bothered with the N.E.W.T speech and the other Professors must've informed the students of it so he wasn't feeling too guilty. One of the things he could be bothered about was the new student. Today was meant to be entirely focused on Theory but the portly man was extremely interested in Hadrian Karys, for reasons unknown to him. The young teen's presence just demanded attention and his aristocratic features implied noble birth, even if Karys denied it, for no muggle could even to begin to think about walking with such smooth, elegant movements. If the boy proved worthy, Horace Slughorn would do all he could to drag the raven haired boy in to his very own Slug Club. All Hadrian needed to do was brew the potion correctly.

Beside him, Tom turned to observe Karys for a moment or two. Normally, he would have sat alone due to the odd number of people in his class and the fact that he preferred the peace and quiet. Slughorn also allowed it, for he knew Tom didn't need a partner and one would only get in his way.

But that didn't explain why Slughorn placed the ivory skinned boy next to him and not at another desk. Despite the fact that creating a pair rather than two individuals was the logical thing to do, Tom thought that the man had ulterior motives. What, he didn't know, but what the Slytherin Heir did know was that he'd be using this opportunity to get information out of the boy. It had been too long since Tom had someone new to play with...

Hadrian ignored the searching look a particular brunette shot him whilst peeling his shrivelfig. The younger teen was used to it anyway, and had no trouble slicing his caterpillars disinterestedly. Riddle could stare all he wanted, Hadrian was far from ruffled.

An hour had passed, and Tom's potion resembled the translucent green colour it was supposed to be. Peeking at the opposite cauldron, he saw that the potion brewed in his desk partner's cauldron was one of soft pink. He was almost disappointed and for a moment it showed on his face before he expertly covered it up with a small sneer.

But Tom didn't know that Hadrian was doing this from memory. The green eyed boy was just merely recalling the notes of one Severus Snape who also happened to alter his notes during school. To this day, Hadrian had even the smallest details of any potion ingrained in his mind as per the Half Blood Prince's instructions. They suited him better than the Ministry approved brews. Thus, even though Tom didn't know it, Hadrian's potion was perfect so far.

As the brunette was finishing up his potion and leaving it to brew, Karys turned his head in his direction.

''Have you any spare sliced caterpillar I could use?'' Hadrian's voice was as calm as it usually was and Tom found that his hand moved automatically to a strip of caterpillar lying on his chopping board before he could even register his actions. Handing it over, Tom let a small, smug grin grace his lips. As the green eyed boy gave him a nod in thanks, Tom noticed a small echo in the back of his mind.

_Karys now owes me a debt. _

The smirk on his face was abruptly wiped off as Hadrian's dropped the ingredient in his cauldron and the potion gurgled before turning the same of green as Tom's. The grey eyed boy continued to watch in contained bewilderment as Karys turned to a Ravenclaw girl beside his desk and managed to charm a slice of caterpillar of her. After placing it on Tom's chopping board with a soft smile , Hadrian stirred his potion clockwise- even though the instructions didn't say as such and let it simmer. His potion was now perfect.

_Of course, the caterpillar counteracts the extra shrivelfig splendidly. It neutralizes the whole potion with its size altering genes and makes it so the shrivelfig's aggressive roots are made less temperamental. Absolute genius._

As if right on cue, Slughorn came by their desks. An approving nod was directed at Tom and a gleeful smile was sent to Hadrian Karys.

''My my, Mr Karys! Oho, it appears that this is a very well brewed potion, you have a real knack for the art I see. Indeed.'' Their Head of House lifted some of the potion to his nose before sniffing and letting out an even bigger grin.''Absolutely perfect. I'm afraid I didn't see which one of you boys completed your potions first but 10 points apiece anyway. Well done boys!'' And with another smile and nod in their direction, Slughorn was gone.

Both boys silently packed away their things as the class was dismissed after placing a vial of potion at Slughorn's desk. And Tom thought he might as well begin talking to Karys.

''To lunch then?'' Riddle drawled in an almost bored tone of voice, not revealing the impatience he actually felt; as viridian eyes locked eyes with stormy grey, Tom caught a wave of cautiousness and inquiry wave between the two. It must've been Hadrian's aura.

Dark tendrils of magic hesitantly reached out to Tom before recoiling. The black waves hugged Karys and forged a small barrier for any potential threats and then, again, the magic tasted Tom's. The grey eyed boy allowed the touch of magic because deep down he knew Hadrian would settle for nothing less. From the short amount of time the Slytherin boy knew the other, he could already determine that Hadrian Karys was one to look out for. The sharp viridian eyes held immense knowledge and swirled with an energy one might think inhuman. Soft spoken words were always carefully planned out and Tom knew from practice that they held a particular motive; the sheer power radiating from Hadrian conveyed the image of a silent predator. The fact that Tom gathered this in such a short amount of time unnerved Tom as it showed the boy was careless-though Tom doubted that- or the boy wanted him to find it out.

''Lead the way.''

There was a challenge issued with these words and both were going to take it upon their shoulders.


	3. Chapter 3

For the next few days, Tom observed.

No matter what, Hadrian Karys always had perfect grades even when he showed no attention in class, nor was he ever seen in the library. During lessons, the Professors would nod at him, award him a few points and then let him sit and read. Albeit, strangely it was always one book he never seemed to finish. Even in Binns' class, whilst most students were catching up on sleep, Karys never failed to portray his boredom by constructing small figurines with pieces of parchment and recreating some of the Goblin wars.

Even the Slytherins were more interested in the paper war on Karys' desk than listening to the actual Professor describe it in more painfully acute detail.

The Head Boy also took note of the fact that some of Hadrian's magic was wandless and silent. All the boy had to do was stare his vivid green eyes once at the Goblin and it would growl with life, sword raised in an attacking position.

At first Tom was dumbfounded. The boy had so much potential and yet he wasted it on frivolous acts of boredom. Even in class, most of Karys' magic was performed with a wand yet the boy did the easiest things wandlessly. It was obvious that the simple feats weren't actually even the best he could do because Hadrian performed it as if it were second nature to him. The detail of his wandlessly transfigured parchment was stunning. The yellow paper would become a gleaming and ornate shield with a blood red scepter in the center with twin snakes vining around it. And when Tom looked closely, it also appeared that the snakes were hissing in something that sounded strangely like parseltounge.

Karys never looked worn out or tired after what ordinary wizards would call amazing feats. Neither was the boy arrogant or cocky.

To be frank, the Slytherin Heir was jealous. Even Tom could do wandless magic but it would take at least _some_ effort and leave him out of breath if he were to do something particularly straining. It irked him that whilst he was constantly at the top of the year for six years, in his seventh he was equaled. Karys probably wasn't even aware of his own power status rivaling Tom's but if he did, he didn't seem to care.

This earned him more of Tom's ire as so much talent was being wasted. And if there was anything that Tom hated, it was wasting potential.

Nonetheless, Tom couldn't allow Hadrian Karys to be commanded by anyone other than himself. The boy held talent and knowledge and if Tom had it his way, it would soon be shared with him. However, first the pretty, raven-haired boy had to be made subservient before he had too much time to think of ways to oppose the Slytherin King.

_I think it's time Karys had a special visit paid to him in the Common Room._

* * *

Hadrian was at dinner one night and seated at the end of the Slytherin table. Despite offers from the Purebloods he still continued to sit wherever he wished. This peeved off Tom especially because the Slytherin Heir liked the idea of an organised Hierarchy seated in their approved locations. Even though the Houses were unaware of the social ladder in the Slytherin House, Tom knew that most Professors that had previously been in Slytherin acknowledged it. Harry knew it made him feel content to know that his power base had been established.

_I wonder why he hasn't approached me yet. Perhaps he wants to make sure that when he hexes me it's in the privacy of the Slytherin Common Room._

Hadrian mused in silence as he pushed around the food on his plate. He had noticed Tom observing him many times when he thought Hadrian was none the wiser but instead of showing that he knew, the green eyed boy let Tom scheme in that psychotic mind of his. No doubt he was planning to dominate Hadrian somehow or was merely watching him for reasons Hadrian knew not. In all honesty, it excited him more than he'd like to admit. The Tom Riddle he was dealing with now was nothing like the crazed Voldemort he knew in the future; meaning Riddle would be more or less, in his prime regarding his mind. It would be a battle between the Alpha's and Hadrian couldn't wait to see who came out on top. Letting his eyes roam the Great Hall beneath his lashes, Hadrian shifted his musings onto his lighter endeavors.

For the past few weeks, Hadrian had set about making friends from the other Houses. At first they were stand offish and cold as was to be expected since he was a Slytherin, but later they had warmed to him when met with his warm, benign facade. He did, in actuality care for their opinions but being more open sped up the process. The Ravenclaw House was the first to be conquered since most of their House was neutral and was the House most in favor with the Slytherins. He befriended them by engaging them in long, logical talks about politics, Laws of magic or anything else that interested them. More often than not, a congress of Ravenclaws would gather in the Library and soon Hadrian became a member of their party after having intruded so many times due to what he overheard. Slowly but surely, he was ploughing his way through the Ravenclaw House and hopefully by the end of the term he'd have most of the upper years swayed.

Then it was the Hufflepuffs House who faced the brunt of Hadrian's false empathy. They were a tough shell to crack as they held the most light wizards who thought Slytherins were evil and Grindelwald supporters. However, Hadrian swayed some of them over by acting sickeningly warm and wearing his heart on his sleeve. He even helped a few with their homework. Since he told them his sob story about being an orphan the Hufflepuffs also began pitying Hadrian and acting more pleasantly than when he first approached them. He didn't like to use emotional blackmail for such a petty task but it helped speed things along. And so far it was working. Though there was still the odd person who was slightly wary of him.

But there were definitely a few Hufflepuffs that could keep his attention from wavering and were able to keep up stimulating conversations with Hadrian. Though it was amusing to see that more often than not, their debates tended to lean towards the subject of Light and Dark and the connections it held with the current war.

His efforts had paid off and now Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs alike were fooled by his smart and approachable demeanor. Hadrian was now the 'nice Slytherin'.

Finally it was the Gryffindor House that was the last to encounter Hadrian's friendly greetings. The raven haired boy knew that the Gryffindors loathed Slytherins like it were a law and obeyed it like it was Merlin's word; so none were to pleased when one even breathed the same air as them. Therefore, Hadrian approached Charlus Potter directly. The green eyed teen understood that by gaining the Alpha's acceptance he'd soon gain more respect as the rest of the Gryffindors followed their leader like sheep and were in that way, similar to Hufflepuffs.

At the moment, Hadrian was well acquainted with Charlus Potter to call him by his first name but not close enough to call him a friend. Though he was still working on that; it was understandable that he wouldn't be able to conquer the whole of Hogwarts in just under a month as barely half the students from the Houses he'd been working on had only begun to trust him.

His thoughts floated back to his first encounter with the Potter Heir, the same person who would soon become his Grandfather.

*FLASHBACK*

Hadrian Karys was striding towards the Quidditch pitch with an air of confidence blanketing him. It was unapparent but a part of him was in shambles at the thought of getting acquainted with his teenage Grandfather. It would feel so strange to him because he already knew that his Grandparents were dead by the time that he was born so he was in no way familiar to them. Though he had spent at least a year with his parents as a toddler, the subject of coddling Grandparents was alien to him. Never mind the fact that the first time they'd meet his Granddad would a teenager.

Blinking once or twice to raise his much improved Occlumency barriers, Hadrian tentatively approached the Gryffindor stands. A place where he had heard that Charlus Potter liked to sit and do Merlin knows what.

Sure enough, when he had climbed the last few stairs, the sight of messy, jet black hair made itself apparent to Hadrian whilst it's owner held his head bent over a book. The sight surprised Hadrian somewhat as he expected to find the Potter Heir practicing Wronski Feints, not engrossed by a book. Again this reinforced his idea that you can never fully assume to know a person before interacting with them and even then, the many layers of character were difficult to pick apart.

''Hello.''

The slightly drawled greeting startled Charlus and he immediately whipped around, fumbling for his wand. When Charlus had identified who disrupted him, honey brown eyes narrowed in confusion before sliding to the Slytherin crest which embellished Hadrian's robes. This time Charlus' eyes widened a fraction whilst it dawned on him that it was the new 'Snake'. Such emotions were so easy to read that Hadrian didn't bother suppressing a bemused smirk.

''What do _you_ want?'' Charlus spat, his words dripping in disdain but coated with the smallest smidgen of curiosity.

For a minute or two, Hadrian observed the taller boy in front of him. Even though Charlus was a Potter, Hadrian could see traces of the Rosier family in his high cheekbones. The petite nose that was slightly turned up in arrogance looked to be inherited from a Malfoy family whilst the strong jawline boasted Black lineage. Hadrian should know, he once looked upon the same features everyday in the mirror before going through his inheritance to the Karys Line.

''Nothing in particular.'' Hadrian smiled slightly so that the Gryffindor knew that he meant no harm. It would do no good for either of them if hexes and curses began to shoot out of wands because of an uneasy atmosphere.

''Sure you do,'' Charlus sneered '' You're a _Slytherin._''

''Oh really? I hadn't quite noticed that I'd been wearing items of clothing with Slytherin's emblem on them for roughly a month now. I thought the purpose of green stripes were to accent the black, but obviously I was mistaken. Do forgive me,

I'm new.'' Hadrian pulled the most confused and taken aback face he could manage and was rewarded with a soft chortle.

''Well if you are really that ditsy I suppose you're harmless enough.'' Charlus replied and abruptly sat back down with the usual grace a Pureblood would display.

Striding forward, Hadrian went to sit down next to Charlus as the latter patted the seat next to him.

'' Hadrian Karys.'' He held out a hand to shake and disguised his relief when the Gryffindor took it.

''Charlus Potter.'' Honey brown eyes glittered with amusement and curiosity as viridian green stared back with equaled intensity. There was a brief moment of silence before Hadrian began to make small talk.

Now, Charlus Potter was a man well liked withing Hogwarts - bar Slytherin- and therefore was privy to the coming and goings within the school. That was the reason he hadn't completely snubbed out Karys. From his friends in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, Charlus was able to gather that the boy before him wasn't your average slimy Slytherin. The Potter Heir wasn't stupid. He wasn't blind to what Hadrian was doing - setting about gathering contacts and such. He was much like Riddle in that way but the difference between Riddle and Karys was that the viridian eyed teen before him actually seemed to socialize not just as a means to benefit from it but also to simply bask in the companionship. Still, Charlus couldn't make solid assumptions because he had yet to talk with Hadrian himself but he was willing to give him a chance.

"I see that you're reading a book on Battle magic. Do you plan to make use of what you're reading?" Hadrian asked, genuinly curious.

"Well, in all honesty, I thought it would be prudent to read up on Battle magics what with the war peaking and my leaving Hogwarts at the end of the year. No doubt after I exit Hogwarts for good, I'm going o be susceptible to danger. The Light stance of the Potter family is, after all, common knowledge." A grim smile befell his lips and Hadrian readily returned it. Strangely, Charlus couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity he felt with the other boy but instead of questioning it he simply accepted it. Even if Karys appeared to be amiable there was still and air of mystery encompassing him in his own tiny bubble, as if he had secrets more potent than other's.

"For a Gryffindor, the self preservation I'm sensing is refreshing." Hadrian grinned and was relieved to earn a small chuckle back. "Of course you must be aware that Battle magic is used for large scale conflict. Do you think you'll be taking an active role in the war?"

"I hope so. I've always been a man of action. I'm planning to become an Auror when I leave." Came his reply, chest puffed in false self-righteousness and Hadrian let a small smile play on his lips. So this is where his wanting to become an Auror derived from. He hadn't thought it would start before James. "What about you, Hadrian?"

The boy in question sat quietly for a moment, pondering his response because he didn't know the answer. Despite everything, he hadn't come to 1944 with a solid plan and perhaps that was a mistake on his part. He just intended to go with a flow and so far he seemed to be doing alright. In the end he opted to be honest.

"I don't know, Charlus." dejection sank into his tone.

"You don't _know?_" came the startled reply. People had already started getting insurance and planning their last will and testament for Merlin's sake and the boy before him expressing his uncertainty only served to befuddle him.

"There is a great much I do not know." Hadrian had a far away look in his eye and Charlus couldn't help but discern wisdom and the feeling of a young boy having gone through too much for his age in unique emerald eyes. The Potter Heir began to panic as he felt Hadrian sink into a brooding mood and quickly changed the subject.

''But what do you know about Quidditch Hadrian?''

The serious atmosphere began to dissipate and the pair began to engage in easy conversation. They discussed the pro's and con's of the wronski feint, talked tactics and debated about who was more responsible for goals -the keeper or the chasers- Hadrian thought it was an extremely stimulating conversation and was glad to be so easily accepted by his Gryffindor Doppelganger.

''What position do you play?'' Charlus asked, intrigued by the amount of Quidditch information that was bursting out of Hadrian. He had a sneaking suspicion that the Slytherin had experience as a Captain and considering the fact that Charlus managed Gryffindor's team he knew that there was certainly a possibility.

''I haven't played for some time really...' Harry mused aloud ''but Seeker.''

An arched brow rose questioningly at the disbelieving look on Charlus' face. Hadrian thought it was fun but weird to be talking to a person who looked exactly like his former self. And so any reactions the Potter Heir displayed were caught by Hadrian's sharp and searching eye.

A slow whistle was elicited from smiling lips as brown eyes assessed Hadrian's body thoroughly.

''I should've guessed.'' Charlus said, more to himself than Hadrian. ''You've the perfect build of a Seeker. Your small frame and lithe body would make it easier for you to manoeuvre around the pitch; it would be stupid to have you as anything else.''

''Dear Merlin, are you checking me out?'' Hadrian teased lightly and snickered at the light blush blooming on Charlus' face before being shot a stern glare.

''It's whether or not you've got any skill on a broom that matters. You wouldn't stand a chance against _me_.'' And there was the Gryffindor arrogance that Hadrian once possessed. From the tone of his voice and the slight twinkle of challenge that gleamed in honey brown eyes, Hadrian guessed that Charlus also played Seeker.

''Oh really?'' The Slytherin quirked an eyebrow and laughed at the pompous reply.

''Of course! I'd bet anything on it!''

Hadrian rose to his feet ready to leave before smirking darkly at the Gryffindor.

''You should be careful what you bet on. You may just find that I take up the challenge.''

And with one last wink, the green eyed boy left without another word. Leaving an intrigued Charlus gazing at the spot where he had last stood.

*ENDFLASHBACK*

Now the pair had developed a mutual like that was slowly turning into friendship. They'd nod an acknowledgment to each other in the hallways or offer a fleeting smile during classes. And so far, things were going well for Hadrian.

But he knew that with his luck, things would eventually take a turn for the worst.


	4. Chapter 4

On the night of All Hallow's eve -Halloween to a Muggle and Samhain to a Wizard- Hadrian was slowly making his way down to the Great Hall for the Feast.

The last night of October had always held a great significance for him. It was the time when he simultaneously lost his parents, 'defeated' the Dark Lord and was hailed as the Boy-Who-Lived by a certain deranged Wizard going by the much shortened name, Albus Dumbledore. After re-entering the Wizarding world, Hadrian also distinctly remembered how every year during Halloween, he would always find himself in a spot of trouble. Be it fighting a Troll, stumbling upon a petrification or discovering a mass murderer attacked the place you slept in, Hadrian would be the first to yawn saying, ''Been there, done that.''

And for that reason, Hadrian felt uneasy. The atmosphere of foreboding and shiftiness was almost tangible; doing nothing to soothe Hadrian's frazzled nerves. This required him calming himself by raising his Occlumency shields and parting with any emotion he was currently being subjected to.

That evening, the Slytherin table were solemn. Whilst the rest of the Great Hall were chattering excitedly and scarfing down sweets by the handful, the House of Snakes sat quietly; words were exchanged in hushed whispers and murmurs, conversation not lasting any longer that thirty seconds. Because the Slytherin House were the only ones to acknowledge that, on this Samhain night, their magic reaches its peak, thanks to Mother Earth. It was also a time where the veil between the mortal world and spiritual plane was at its thinnest and ancestors were honored. Those who died during the Salem Witch Trials in particular.

Ancient Rituals where performed to cleanse the body and nourish the Magic inside. By performing these rituals, your magical ability would enhance and become easier to work with. Nonetheless, despite all the benefits the rituals brought, they were classified as 'Dark' - something that most Noble blooded families turned their noses up at and did anyway in the privacy of their own wards where the Ministry held no influence.

Certain Light families, however, were brainwashed by the Ministry and failed to perform these rituals thus resulting in the families becoming slightly less apt at Magic since their cores didn't coexist with their bodies. This meant that magic was harder to control and manipulate and the Witch or Wizard struggled to control their magic. But it did mean that with the population of Light Wizards with failing cores increasing, it meant that whilst the Dark population was small, they were stronger.

Hadrian would not have been familiar with these rituals if he hadn't read about them in the books in the Black Library then asked Ethan Karys about them. His -in a way- brother explained to him all about the cleansing of the soul and how it was even more important for a Dark Wizard to perform them, lest they become insane and buckle under the pressure the Dark brings with it.

He found that when he did go through with them, slowly the true extent of his magic was being unleashed. Suddenly just because of a Samhain ritual and a few added ones, he was in control of magic he didn't even know he had. Wandless magic and mind magic eventually became second nature to him after a certain ritual had snapped his magical boundaries put there by none other than Dumbledore. Hadrian was also able to delve into some of the Black arts and come out unscathed as his magic wasn't restraining him so much and fighting against his Darker nature. Strangely enough, Hadrian's magic also reacted wildly to the Necromantic Arts. The discovery was shocking and one that he only relayed to Ethan for fear of it falling upon sensitive ears.

Reacting to a Dementor the way he did during his third year was because his necromancy skills were restrained by the limitation put on him by Dumbledore. Since his magic hadn't had the required energy level it meant that the necromantic blood in him lashed out against his core which was trying to protect him. Normally, to a necromancer, a Dementor wouldn't have such a significant effect but seeing that his body and mind where panicking and held no control over his core, severe damage was done.

Hadrian had only begun to delve into the Black Art however he had managed to learn alot from the books he managed to scrounge. Knockturn Alley and the Underground Black Market had done him many favors and he was thankful for the fact that he had yet another skill to practice upon.

From what he could gather, Hadrian guessed that his gift was inherited from the Black line as Dorea Black was his paternnal grandmother. After all the Pureblood line stretched back for centuries and had a number of Necromancers gracing their lineage. Though it was a secret they kept close to their hearts since if the Ministry were to find out they'd surely end up in Azkaban. Hadrian wouldn't have even knew about this if Sirius hadn't been so careless as to not put wards around the Library before he died and let Hadrian raid the Black Library, surfacing with some of the Darkest books written and the History of the Black clan. However, Hadrian wouldn't have raided any Libraries if it wasn't for Ethan suggesting it after sixth year.

On top of that the Necromancy skill only managed to completely break through any limitations on his magic and now it was very finely tuned. Nonetheless, after being tested for strong Necromantic powers, he came out negative which didn't disappoint him by much; he was much too busy with current affairs and on top of that becoming a Necromancer would mean he'd have to cut off all ties to civilization - something that wouldn't work in his favour considering his current predicament. He remained content at owning a trickle of the power and was grateful that it triggered the growth of his Dark magic. Still, Hadrian guessed that this was what the Prophecy meant when it said that he would have powers that Voldemort knew not. Dumbledore had told him that it was the power to love and looking back at the memory, Hadrian could only sneer at how pathetic he once was. Thank Merlin for meeting Ethan in the summer holidays before his sixth year!

Funnily enough, Hadrian's magic would never have become so strong and reacted wildly to the Dark Arts if it wasn't for the Dursleys. When a child is born, they are neither Light nor Dark. It depended solely upon their upbringing and how the environment would affect the child, for example a Dark child would observe it's parents characteristics and mannerisms, then subconsciously adapt to copy it. Seeing as how Hadrian spent a year of his life being subjected to the influence of Light wizards during school, his magic responded to theirs and became infected. It was like this when his parents where alive but after the Dursleys took him in, his magic changed.

Years of neglect, starvation and mental abuse meant that his was physically and perhaps even psychologically weak. Being malnourished and forced to do all the chores in the house lead to Hadrian developing a deep seated hate for his aunt's family. The beatings freely given by Dudley and his gang watered the seed of loathing the thin orphan harbored and each day passed to make Hadrian's self preservation stretch to new lengths. And as his hate grew, the Dark magic in him did too; it fed on all his negative emotions and coiled around him like a warm blanket.

Whenever he would receive a beating or feel particularly hungry, it was Hadrian's Dark magic that healed his wounds, both internal and external by wrapping around him comfortably and soothing him. It grew alongside Hadrian in his tiny cupboard under the stairs and if a powerful wizard like Dumbledore were ever bothered to investigate (not that he would or was ever), the Dark magic bursting out of the cupboard would be tangible and roll out in waves. Thick, intimidating and in all it's black glory. That was Hadrian's magic down to a T.

As he grew up surrounded by his Light friends, Hadrian's Dark magic never left him- it just remained dormant, waiting for an opportunity to emerge again after his soul went through more emotional stress than it was used to. Since Harry never felt very sad or remorseful after any of his encounters with Voldemort, his soul remained intact. That was until Sirius' death...

It was for that reason-his dormant magic- that he was so good at Defense Against The Dark Arts and so utterly rubbish at other things. Whereas his Light magic was average and could perform at an average level, it was nothing compared to Hadrian's Dark magic. If the raven haired teen ever bothered to embrace his Dark side instead of suppressing it, he would've found himself as a magical prodigy; but he didn't, instead opting to use his underdeveloped Light magic and burying the Dark.

Something good did come out of it however, when Hadrian met Ethan Karys.

*FLASHBACK*

Harry Potter was currently under an invisibility cloak, eagerly watching a cage fight. He had sneaked out of Grimmauld place to get some fresh air and peace, not forgetting the fact that he also needed to get away from his 'best friends' and wannabe girlfriend. He had been walking aimlessly for some time but then Harry had stumbled across an old warehouse where a deafening crowd could be heard. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

It was ten past ten and it the noise the warehouse was erupting with sounded nothing like a normal party. What was going on in there?

Harry really wished he had his invisibility cloak with him but it was currently in his trunk at Grimmauld Place. A sigh of frustration slipped out of his lips as he wished that just once he'd get what he wanted. And suddenly there it was.

Strange.

Wrapping it around his bony shoulders and covering his head, Harry proceeded in the direction of the building.

There were bouncers at the gate but they looked more like security guards to Harry. There were no lines or hoards of people outside and add that to the fact that the door was open, the young wizard had no trouble slipping in.

The first thing Harry noticed was the noise. It was even louder inside and the raven haired boy had to clamp his hands around his ears- which provided to be difficult as he was under a cloak. He tried navigating his way through the throng of sweating voices to see what they were jeering at and was glad that everyone was too busy screaming themselves hoarse to notice another body shoving it's way forward.

As he approached, Harry could barely see the top of metal due to his stunted growth. But when he did arrive at the front he could see what everyone was screaming about.

There in a cage, were two humans fighting each other like dogs.

One of them was huge, with big, beefy arms (which looked like what Harry envisioned Dudley's to look like when he got older) and gripped in his hand was a razor sharp knife slashing at whatever it could reach. The man's face was awash with hideous tattoos that revealed only a few patches of pink skin whilst his mouth was twisted into a fierce scowl; his black beady eyes focused on his opponent.

On the contrary, Tattoo man's rival was a young man who looked barely twenty. Shaggy blonde hair was flying all over the place whilst he gave as good as he got. The young lad also had olive skin which seemed to be covered in flecks of what looked to be blood. On his hands were a pair of knuckle dusters.

However, what was strange was the fact that the crowd seemed to be rooting for the younger opponent. The only reason Harry knew this was because he heard a man tell- shout actually- his companion about the blonde's identity.

''That's Karys that is, the blonde one. Smart money's on him. Obviously poor Dave didn't know what he got himself -ooh ouch, GO ON MY SON!- into when taking up the offer. Karys may look like a boy but he's got the strength of a beast.''

This definitely grabbed Harry's attention.

As he watched the brawl, the green eyed teen could see how Karys was landing way more blows with even fiercer strength. Tattoo man already had various cuts and bruises and was already tiring whilst the blonde kicked and punched effortlessly. Karys moved with a masculine grace and fluidity that was seen mostly amongst dancers yet the way he beat down his rival added a rugged wildness to his moves. Harry found it sickeningly fascinating.

'Dave' suddenly roared in anger at being treated like a punch bag but instead of looking threatening he ended up looking like a child throwing a tantrum. It made the audience cry tears of laughter much to Dave's ire.

Karys also volunteered a cruel mocking laugh that chilled Harry's bones. In Harry's eyes that wasn't a laugh. No, laughing was something you did when you experienced joy or euphoria but Karys' laugh was filled with malice and violent intent. It was what Harry expected a Death Eater's laugh to sound like.

A taunting smile marred the blonde's lips as he brushed his knuckle dusters against his bare chest, the spikes barely brushing his olive skin.

''Had enough old man?'' he asked, his eyes revealing how he couldn't care less about the beefy man's feelings. ''How about we stop here?''

And then Karys was leaping towards the other, like a sleek black panther pouncing on it's prey. He gripped the older man's wrists in one hand in a vice like grip - this in itself was an amazing feat considering the man's hands were like twin legs of lamb- and with another, brought the tattooed head to his knee. The sound of the crushing skull echoed in the suddenly quiet warehouse, the sickening crack resounding off walls as the audience cringed in horrified excitement. Somehow the eyeballs also managed to gauge out slightly and then blood was trickling down an ink covered face.

Dave was dead.

And Harry stood there grinning along with the crowd, a morbid smile plastered across his face.

Abruptly, the cage door was unlocked and thrown open. Emerging out of it was Karys, effortlessly dragging out what remained of his opponent. The carcass was then kicked into the middle of an eagerly awaiting crowd who attacked the corpse wildly, looking more like starved vultures than humans. The savage screams erupting from the crowd was nothing short of disturbing.

_Muggles really are ruthless bastards aren't they? _

He had seen enough. He had bore witness to how muggles were such despicable race; he thought it was just his aunt's family who were cruel and heartless but apparently it was pretty much the entire muggle kingdom. Even History proved the muggles ignorant what with world war 1 barely ending before a sequel sprang up. If they could all collectively agree to abusing a dead body just because seconds ago it proved to be inferior, what would they do when they found out that _they _-the muggles- were inferior? When it was discovered it was not them at the top of the food chain but the wizards? If they could rip apart each other, what would stop them from wiping out all and any magical blood? Purebloods, half bloods, muggleborns, creatures and even squibs would not stand a chance for the muggles far outnumbered the wizards by at least 15 to 1 of not more. Muggles also had nuclear weapons and advanced technology which could wipe out civilizations in seconds to do their bidding whilst wizards depended entirely upon their wands and the lackluster Ministry.

And suddenly Harry's mind was racing.

_Everyday muggleborns are threatening our kind. They bring in their own muggle blood relatives and increase the risk of magic being found out. If a person like one of the Dursley's were to find about our secret society, no doubt they'd despise us or Merlin forbid, alert the authorities. We'd be in a war, a war on a larger scale than the one with Voldemort._

_Though it's funny how I've been agreeing with Dumbledore up until now. How I believed that Muggles were harmless and if they were to be introduced to our society that they wouldn't harm us at all. And all it took for me to realize that Voldemort's ideals weren't all bad was a muggle cage fight._

_Muggles will forever be a wizard's damnation. _

So immersed in his thoughts, Harry turned to leave the warehouse and only made it a few steps before colliding with a hard, muscular chest.

Scowling, Harry rubbed his head and craned his neck (damn his height) to give whoever it was he bumped into a frigid glare- perhaps one of the ones Snape used on Neville.

First his eyes lingered on firm, toned abs then, on broad, heavy shoulders, up a long neck and finally onto a face with one of it's eyebrows raised questioningly.

It was the man from the cage.

As Harry took in the high cheekbones, wavy blonde hair, soft pink lips, straight, long nose and icy indigo eyes, all his mind provided him with was:

_Fuck._

Without a shadow of a doubt, Harry knew he was about to get crushed.

He tried to unfreeze his body, cursing the fact that he had taken off his invisibility cloak after entering the warehouse because of it's humidity. But seeing his method of defrosting wasn't working, all he could do was blink dumbly before stuttering out an apology.

"I erm er, s-sorry? erm..." he cringed at his tone, feeling as spineless as he sounded- though he didn't doubt that if he did have a spine right now, it'd be wrenched out soon.

Indigo orbs trailed down Harry's gaunt face and eyed his bobbing Adam's apple with masterfully concealed mirth. However, since Harry's hesitant apology hadn't elicited a response from the older man, it only ceased to make him fidgety.

_And here I thought I'd leave the mortal plane Death-by-Voldemort after an impressive duel. I can't imagine the euphoria Malfoy will be experiencing when he finds it plastered on the Daily Prophet that a muggle killed me. It'll also give him extra material for insults. No doubt Snape will be cackling all on his lonesome in his smelly dungeons too. Bloody bat. _

Harry mentally huffed.

_Well they can kiss my ass. My dead ass that is. _

He didn't pause his ramblings to consider how he was over reacting and being just plain ridiculous but that was the beauty of losing someone you loved. It made you more deranged and open to new possibilities. And he also didn't give a second thought to the disturbing act of kissing any part of a corpse, never mind it's backside.

"It's quite all right." Harry paused. The blonde's smooth, baritone voice made shivers caress his arms; this man was no muggle.

Narrowed green eyes assessed the taller man in a new light but were unwilling to meet the jaded orbs.

Letting one of his newly required skills- magic sensing, though he did not know the name of it at the time nor did he know that it existed solely because of his undeveloped necromancy prowess- out from under his secure bindings, Harry let a strand of his magic peek out to see if it could locate any wisps of free magic.

Imagine his shock when his own magic was fiercely shoved back at him. Harry's aura hissed and recoiled in self preservation before wrapping around him in a somewhat stifling grip.

The Potter heir felt as if he was sinking deeper and deeper into Hippogriff shit.

''Right well, it's late and I'm needed at home. Excuse me.'' he sidestepped the older man and silently cursed the Gods as he was forced to halt.

''I don't think so, boy. You're coming with me.'' And with that Karys took hold of Harry's forearm in a firm grip (though Harry felt as if it were more of a technique to cut off his blood supply and weaken him.) and was leading him out the entrance of the building.

With his spare hand, Harry latched onto his invisibility cloak to stop it from getting lost and bundled it up to his chest. Then he glared at Karys with much more confidence than he was feeling. After which he supported his Snape-glare with tiny jabs at the blonde's magic though it elicited no response. To think that his best foreboding glare was being ignored was highly insulting to Harry and set a scowl on his face.

''What is it you want? You're a Death Eater aren't you? I should've known. Though I'm surprised that one of Voldemort's cronies has the brain capacity to know that breathing the same air as a muggle doesn't mean you'll catch the plague. Unfortunately.'' The glare was now replaced by hate filled malice and wariness as Harry finally decided that he was the one worse off. He wasn't allowed the use of a wand as per the Ministry's stern instructions after his court hearing and he also wasn't as skilled in the arts of physical combat as the suspected Death Eater in front of him. The demonstration earlier didn't bother to ease Harry's frazzled nerves.

The silence stretched as Harry impatiently awaited a reply, arms crossed and contemplating the fact that he'd yet to be cursed, hexed or jinxed and Karys staring at Harry unblinkingly.

''You're Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived.'' Said the blonde tentatively, eyeing Harry like he was a rabid dog.

''For being as skilled as you are in combat, intellectually, you are rather slow. Has Voldemort had you isolated? Is that why you've never read any of the slanderous articles about me and just recognised my famous scar and connected the dots?''

The green eyed boy gulped nervously as indigo eyes narrowed dangerously. Perhaps he had gone too far. Even if the man was slow, it didn't mean he wouldn't notice the snarkyness lacing Harry's speech.

''And for being the defeater of the Darkest wizard in history, you seem to have a very low sense of self preservation. Has no one ever told you to not jump to conclusions before knowing the full story? Although, perhaps that's just how you obsolete Light wizards always end up on the shorter end of the stick.''

Harry gaped as the muscular man insulted him. Karys' face betrayed none of the emotion he was feeling excluding the evident disdain portrayed by the subtle sneer. He carried on as if oblivious to Harry's shock.

''Before you get over your current astounded silence and open your mouth yet again to blather nonsensically,'' apparently not, '' allow me to introduce myself as Ethan Asevicius Mancovitz Karys. And I feel obliged to correct you on the term that I am not a follower of Voldemort. ''

''Then what do you want?'' came the blunt reply.

''You intrigue me Harry. I sense your Darkness albeit most of it is suppressed, some by you and some by another. I also See the black that enshrouds you, evidence of you possessing a skill in the Black Arts: Necromancy. Whether you use it or not, you nor I have not the patience to debate.'' Ethan put up a hand to pause any of Harry's protests and put him under a wandless and wordless silencio just in case. '' I implore that you come with me. Allow me to help you harness your powers. The powers that Voldemort knows not.''

Yet again, Harry floundered as the silencio was finite'ed. He was a Dark Wizard. He was a Necromancer. He was worse than Draco Malfoy. Dear Merlin, he'd just hit rock bottom.

But how was he to know that the man was speaking the truth? It could be a heavily planned out trap. Harry furiously tried to pretend that he hadn't been noticing a change around himself, hadn't noticed the sadistic glee he had started feeling during duels, hadn't noticed how his thoughts more often than not took a darker turn and that on occasion his eyes would darken as he let his magic out. And then there was the fact that his magic was being suppressed. And not all by him... Who would be powerful enough to suppress his magic? And the other thing...

_He knows of the Prophecy._

All common sense flew out the window as Harry spontaneously lunged towards Ethan. His plan backfired however, as Ethan had merely sidestepped the attack as if avoiding a falling feather and Harry fell towards the floor. His scar marked head would have kissed the floor if it wasn't for Ethan reaching out and grabbing a fistfull of Harry's collar. Unfortunately, it meant that Harry was midway between meeting the ground and was being strangled as he squirmed relentlessly.

''The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches...born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the dark lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the dark lord knows not...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...the one with the power to vanquish the dark lord will be born as the seventh month dies.''Ethan just about hissed menacingly.

The revelation made Harry go limp in his arms.

''How do you know about the prophecy?'' Harry demanded furiously.

''I was informed of it.'' The blonde said straight faced and serious, his eyes not giving away a shred of his emotions.

_Hold on. What if he knows Occlumency? Damn Snape._

A pale eyebrow barely twitched as Harry made a constipated look. Merlin knew of what his idle brain was coming up with now. Ethan let out an impatient sigh.

''I, Ethan Asevicius Mancovitz Karys, do swear by my magic that I mean no harm to Harry Potter. All of which I have said is also the truth as I know it and the prophecy was not relayed to me by a member/members of the Dark party or a member/ members of the Light party. Nor was I told of the prophecy by any other with, wizard or magical creature. And thus, I do swear by my magic, so mote it be.'' A golden glow enshrouded the man for five seconds before it sunk into his skin.

''Then who told you?''

Ethan opted to just smile cryptically instead of replying.

''I offer you again, come with me Harry. I assure you that you'll benefit more so than me.''

Harry stared back suspiciously, '' Why would I want to?''

Ethan replied nonchalantly, '' You're curious. I've no doubt you've been exploring the Black Library lately; say, has the content appealed to you in any way?''

The blood from Harry's already pale face drained. This man knew too much. But how?

''If you are, come with me. I'll train you to be a fighter. A warrior. A spy. Under my tutelage you'll learn how to resist truth potions, deal with torture and unleash your true power. The Dark in you is strong child, but unharnessed. Come with me.'' With every sentence, Ethan took a step forward until Harry could feel his breath on his face. The escaped tendrils of magic didn't escape his notice either. His magic was heavy and teased Harry's own magic; it caressed his and explored him, leaving shivers in it's wake. It was intoxicating. It was obvious that if Ethan chose to, Harry could be suffocated by it.

_What have I got to lose? Everyone's ignoring me, Dumbledore won't even look at me, Ron and Hermione don't understand me and I half of the time it feels like they're talking at me and not with me. Besides, he did make a magical vow... What have I got to lose?_

''Okay.'' Green eyes were wary but confident as Harry shook hands with Ethan who looked more than mildly satisfied.

"We'll be staying in my home in the Shadow realm. Sixty days here is approximately 5 years there and so you'll already be trained heavily before your sixth year. To avoid suspicion, I'll create a golem, a fake you, to make sure you are not missed.''Ethan informed him. He had it all planned out it seemed.

"What about my stuff?" Harry enquired.

''All you need is your wand and cloak as of now, the golem can take care of the rest as it will share your memories and you will receive it's memories too. He'll behave and look exactly like you and even feel the same emotions that you'd feel if you were in a situation.''

After forty minutes, the fake Harry was sent off and the real Harry couldn't help but feel amazed at his doppelganger.

''How _did_ you do that?'' The raven haired teen marveled with awe lacing his words.

''Necromancy.'' Ethan said with a mysterious smile.

Despite himself, Harry couldn't help but feel excited beyond words.

*END OF FLASHBACK*

Yet again, Hadrian was forced to pull out of his thoughts. He was homesick and lonely and missed -not that he'd admit it aloud- Ethan. He raised his Occlumency again and detached his emotions from his mind; it was the easiest way to deal with the problem at hand.

Mentally sighing, he got up from his seat and noticed how there was a massive gap in the middle of the table. Tom and his 'gang' were missing and Hadrian was extremely suspicious.

It was all Hallow's eve so they must've gotten back to their respective Dorms to partake in any rituals they planned.

He left the great hall and ten minutes later got to the Slytherin House's entrance before whispering in parseltounge. The entrance opened, revealing a silence.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop and it looked to be mostly empty however Hadrian's sharp sight acknowledged that there was indeed a small group of people by the unlit fireplace, still and unmoving. And sitting in the wing backed chair like it was a throne was none other than Tom riddle with a rigid back and cold, cruel smirk that made Hadrian tense in trepidation. Riddle displayed the perfect image of kingly grace and as Tom greeted him with the most cliche'd line ever the emerald eyed boy knew nothing good would come of this.

''Ahh. Welcome Hadrian, we've been expecting you...'' Came the sinister, lilting voice of none other than Tom Marvolo Riddle.


	5. Chapter 5

Hadrian's head slowly turned around the room, noticing how there were only a select few amongst the circle Tom Riddle sat in. They all sat poker backed and with a frigid gleam in their eyes, trying to gauge Hadrian's reaction. His eyes darted to what he assumed to be the weaker members, then to possible escape routes and finally to the predatory sparkle in stormy grey eyes. Mentally calculating the offensive weapons he had with him, Hadrian inwardly grimaced at his bad luck. It seemed as though Samhain never bode well with him.

"Have you now Riddle?" Hadrian drawled, his eyes suppressing the twitch that threatened to slit emerald orbs. He had been trained for moments like this and to hell with him if he were to betray his teachings.

His eyes scanned over Stacey Moon (Who had funnily enough, seemed to have joined Tom's elite just this evening), Araminta Meliflua, Alphard Black, Eloise Rosier, Elladora Black, Cygnus Black, Abraxas Malfoy and Antonin Dolohov. Sharp, green eyes picked up on how they were seated according to power and status. Antonin, as Tom's right hand was seated in the dark green and mahogany single seater beside him whilst Stacey Moon sat farthest away from Tom at the end of a plush, black sofa.

"Do take a seat." Tom waved a hand towards the Purebloods who took the signal as to move over and create space for Hadrian.

"No need." Hadrian intoned sharply and swiftly conjured his own dark wooden elm chair from across Tom. It had black Boa Constrictors embellishing the curved handles and forging silver decorating the back corners. Tiny wine coloured rubies -that Hadrian remembered were similar to Voldemort's- studded the curled corners of the head and vines twisted around the legs. Yet it still looked ridiculously simple compared to Tom's ostentatious throne like piece of furniture. Briefly, a cold smirk flickered across Hadrian's face as he tallied one- nil to him.

Slowly, Tom sat up in a proper seating position and propped his head up on laced fingers and smiled mockingly,"Impressive."

Hadrian would've grunted in response if he were the same person in his first year and were capable of making a spectacle of himself. Instead, he refrained from making any such comment and barely twitched an eyebrow. Meanwhile, the Purebloods were trading discrete looks which to them, held immense meaning before stealing a look at Hadrian and then continuing to bob their heads to and fro like mindless birds.

A strange hissing suddenly filled the room and were it not for Hadrian being familiar to that type of language, he too would've been able to hold testimony to the icy shiver that scuttled down the backs of the Slytherins.

_"Nagini! Come my dear..."_

There was a rustling from behind Tom's 'chair' and suddenly, emerged a forest green snake. At least twelve feet long and as thick as one of Hadrian's slightly muscled arms. The reptile had a row of black diamonds swimming down her back and a yellow underbelly. Her eyes were obviously slitted and were a shocking shade of silver outlined in blue. Her tongue poked out threateningly and Hadrian mused over what she'd looked like in the future. Nagini _was_ a beautiful snake but before, Hadrian always felt slightly intimidated by her but now felt nothing but adoration for the grace and poise she personified.

Several sharp intakes of breath pierced the silence as the Slytherins deftly lifted their legs to avoid contact with the fierce predator as she snaked towards Tom, eyes on Hadrian. As she settled on her Master's shoulder, Nagini flicked her tongue out in Hadrian's direction.

_"Have you brought me another meal, Master?"_ She asked curiously, hunger tainting her words. Tom, unaware that Hadrian could understand perfectly what the pair was saying, laughed cruelly. Hadrian figured he was supposed to be scared.

_"Unfortunately not my sweet. I am merely using you as an intimidation technique."_ Tom aimed a sneer at Hadrian and the raven haired boy felt the urge to chuckle as instead, the Purebloods recoiled.

_"That's not very __nice__ of you Master."_ Said Nagini flatly. But then hissed in laughter baring her fangs in the process, unbeknownst to how laughing at her own joke caused the room- bar two- to cringe in horror.

_"Nagini, you are supposed to be terrifying the boy opposite me not turning my Slytherins into a wobbling mess."_ Tom hissed darkly, annoyance lacing his words. He scowled as Nagini licked his face before sliding down her Master and slithering towards Hadrian who's eyes were shielding bubbling mirth.

Hadrian watched all the while the snake was moving towards him, fangs bared in threat as she coiled around his leg and slightly constricted his blood flow. Tom continued to watch in morbid fascination.

_"Do try not to kill or injure him Nagini. I need him." _Tom purred.

_"But of course Master. This one is simply too pretty! Is he your new mate?"_ She asked, genuinly curious.

_"Nagini!"_

_" No need to shout."_ At the withering look sent her way, Nagini slyly muttered,_"So I shan't be expecting hatchlings?" _to herself, knowing full well Tom couldn't hear.

Hadrian couldn't suppress the tingle he felt as Nagini laughed in his ear. Thankfully, Tom hadn't heard and was instead sending his familiar loathing glares. Or maybe they were aimed at Hadrian.

_"No you shan't Nagini. Forgive me for getting your hopes up."_ Hadrian said dryly, yet amusement coloured his tone; half his face was emerged in the dark shadows so it was difficult to see his mouth move.

_"What is this?! Another Speaker?!"_ Silver eyes pierced emerald and Hadrian quirked an eyebrow.

_"Yes but please keep it a secret from your Master, my dear. It'd be more fun letting him find out for himself."_ Hadrian let a lazy smile grace his lips as he peered at her from under his lashes. Nagini considered him, her snake head tilted to the side.

_"And what if he asks?" _She hissed softly.

_"Why would he have reason to? He won't, I am sure of it."_

_"Very well. But you will be hearing from me soon, be sure of that." _Just to ease her Master's suspicions of her hushed hissing, Nagini flickered a forked tongue towards Hadrian's face, licking a line up his cheek before she promptly slithered down and went back to her Master.

The Heir of Slytherin then engaged his familiar in a paranoid talk about what on earth Nagini was playing at licking the victim and how she was not to be allowed to make snarky and suggestive comments. Then Nagini made a comment that made Tom's blood freeze.

_"Master, he feels like you."_

Grey eyes widened marginally before narrowing dangerously. _"What are you saying, Nagini?"_

"_His scent is like yours. He feels like you." _She repeated. Knowing he wasn't going to get anything else out of the snake, Tom wondered again, what on earth this Karys boy was. What Nagini was suggesting was unheard of and frankly he didn't understand it. He would have to consult his books.

During the hissed argument between Tom and Nagini, the Purebloods were sitting stoically and exchanging worried glances between them, unsure of what to do with Hadrian who looked as though he was enjoying his current predicament.

As Nagini curled and settled on Tom's shoulder, the Heir of Slytherin spoke up, deciding it prudent to change the subject. "So Karys, how have your studies been treating you?"

Hadrian certainly wasn't expecting that...

"Splendidly Riddle." He said calmly.

"I've got to say, I've not ever caught you revising or doing your homework. You do know this is your N.E.W.T year, no?" Tom raised a brow in question and Hadrian had to wonder what the point was to this idle chitchat.

"But of course. I _was_ present when we were all given numerous lectures about the importance of attending N.E.W.T classes by not only Professor Slughorn but all our Professors." Hadrian couldn't help the snide twang his speech held but was pleased that it sounded almost Snape-like; drawled and sarcastic. "Though I'll admit I never knew you were so concerned about my education Riddle. Why the sudden interest?" Suspicion flitted over emerald eyes for the briefest of seconds. too quick for Tom to catch it.

"As Head Prefect of Slytherin, it is my duty to inquire after students in order to make sure that they are maintaining Slytherin Houses high expectations. On top of that, you are also new and therefore unfamiliar to the Houses rules and concepts so I am merely offering a hand in helping you become more familiar with not only the rules but us, your House mates." Tom recited briskly, sounding as if the same speech had been heard by a number of students when Tom was feeling nosy but making an effort to be polite.

"Pardon me if I'm wrong, but are you trying to tell me that you've decided to waited two months to ask me about my lessons instead of inquiring within the first week where I could've informed you of any troubles I was facing and sort them out earlier?"

Disbelief shone in Hadrian's eyes and it was clear that he was beginning to get impatient. Not that he was the only one. The Pureblooded Slytherins were not very appreciating of how rudely the new boy was talking to their Master and no matter how gorgeous, powerful or interesting Hadrian was, their loyalties lay with Tom. The Heir of Slytherin was also becoming irked as Hadrian grated on his patience yet, he was somehow enjoying how the raven haired teen proved to be a challenge. Hadrian was smart. Smart enough to pick up on things that others weren't aware of but also smart enough to keep things to himself. Tom would enjoy subjugating him.

"Have you forgotten that this is Slytherin House, Karys? We are not Hufflepuffs. Here, we learn to cope with our struggles independently instead of pitying ones self and doing naught about it. Have you considered that perhaps I was merely testing you to see how you deal with your issues? Whether you are led by emotion or logic?" Tom sneered at him disdainfully, the Slytherins mirroring him.

The only response they elicited was a deadpan look.

"How would I expect any different? You must understand that even as Slytherins, you aren't as discrete as you can be. And I am well aware of what you consider 'help' Riddle. I am also privy to the machinations of Slytherin House. Correct me if I'm wrong but is this not an initiation test?" He retorted tartly.

Tom's eyes were suddenly glinting and he pointed a long, elegant finger towards Stacey Moon...

"Couldn't have phrased it better myself." He purred languidly as suddenly Hadrian had a portkey thrust into his lap by one, Stacey Moon. Immediately, before he felt the tug behind his navel, Hadrian hissed out a nasty Sectumsempra aimed at the brunette.

They were Slytherins after all. They could fix her. Or not.

* * *

He landed with a thump in the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. And he was God damn furious. It was Halloween, he'd been set up by the Slytherins and he'd managed to find himself in the Forbidden Forest at night. When it was at its most lethal. Even with all the training he'd received, Hadrian would be lucky to get out alive because who knew what sorts of creatures resided in the forest. It was forbidden for exactly that reason.

Senses alert, Hadrian reached for the wand in his holster and slowly brought it out. He wasn't ignorant to the fact that he was in the Forbidden Forest because he knew the Slytherins were aware that it was the closest and if he were to die or get seriously injured, they'd be able to locate him sooner and frame someone else. Hadrian also knew that it was the outskirts of the forest because he could see the wild moonshine mushrooms growing behind the shrubs. If picked, he knew they'd be extremely valuable because they were immensely rare and a valuable potions ingredient. Perhaps Slughorn would appreciate the action, the potions Professor may even be willing to part with some information for them...

As he was stuffing the pink mushrooms in the pocket of his robes, Hadrian's ears detected a rattling sounds. He quickly thanked the Gods for his good vision in the dark and whipped around immediately, ready to ward off the threat. Slowly, a Runespoor wiggled out of a groove in a tree trunk. Seven feet long with orange and black stripes and three heads.

_"Do you think the Centaurs will ever agree on giving us one of their foals?"_ The middle head sighed. Hadrian acknowledged it as the Dreamer.

_"Not with the way you asked. __Definitely not."_ Snorted the right head disgustedly. Hadrian ticked that one off as the Critic.

_"Well if you hadn't so rudely commented on their astronomy skills maybe they would've considered it!_" Hissed the left head venomously. Ruling the other heads out it wasn't difficult to come to the conclusion that this was the Planner.

Hadrian quickly cast a Dark disillusionment charm over himself; any animal would be able to see through a regular one and so a more cunning solution had to be sought. The feeling of an egg being cracked on his skull did little to comfort him when he knew that a Runespoor was the least of his worries.

_"If you must know, the fault lies with him," the Critic jerked his head in the Dreamer's direction and simultaneously banged their skulls together,_ "_If it wasn't for him going off on a tangent about what he did to his last dinner then they wouldn't have been scared off!"_ The Critic thundered.

_"Hey! Don't blame him for your mistake. Because of you we'll have to go hungry for he next month or so and I say that we find ourselves a Minotaur. But perhaps we shall go after the foals once more... Just in case "_ The Planner argued, already thinking ahead.

Hadrian's eyes widened at hearing that there was a Minotaur in the forest and as the Runespoor slithered past him, Harry felt uneasy with the knowledge- or lack thereof- of the beasts that swarmed the Forbidden Forest.

Twigs snapped and whines and growls pierced the Forest as Hadrian trekked through the mud and leaves. He didn't dare cast a Lumos for fear of drawing attention to himself. The cold penetrated his already thick, winter robe and made his lips turn slightly blue. It was impossible for it to be this cold yet it was, it seemed to be about ten degrees colder in the forest than in Hogwarts. And it was definitely darker and noisier. The fact that it was nearing winter didn't help matters.

A low growl sounded behind him and Hadrian froze. Slowly, he reached for the dagger in his belt and drew it. Then he turned and came face to face with a Wyvern. It was truly a marvelous creature; crouched in a lunging position. It's midnight black feathers on its wings shone an electric blue as beams of moonlight hit it. The body was reptilian, sleek and covered with a mass of dark scales and its tail forked at the end. It stood on two clawed legs, its metallic talons glinting harshly as they created grooves in the ground. Its head was enshrouded in a mane and its face looked like a dragon's, snout flaring and slitted eyes narrowing. Clearly, the Wyvern could see Hadrian.

"Well damn..."

The Wyvern lunged at Hadrian, talons glinting menacingly and fangs bared. Droplets of poison sprayed the ground as the beast let out a ferocious roar and tried to claw at Hadrian's face. The pale boy jumped out of the way and attempted to slice the Wyvern's thick skin but wasn't surprised when the dagger barely dented it. Another fierce shriek threatened to burst his eardrums.

The beast turned and Hadrian was forced to lunge out of the way again before scampering up a tree; though that didn't stop the Wyvern. It only meant that it'd have to fly up off the ground.

Cursing under his breath, Hadrian began to jump from tree to tree, attempting to avoid the hot fire that was erupting out of the Wyvern's mouth. It was a third dragon and didn't hasten to remind him of the fact. Spotting a nest of vulture like birds a few trees from his, Hadrian decided it would be wise to get back on the ground and so began the tedious journey of levitating himself down to the ground whilst avoiding sharp branches, insects and fire. It briefly reminded him of his Task at the Triwizard Tournament in his fourth year.

If he wanted to get this over with, he'd have to resort to quicker methods.

Crouched down on the wet ground, emerald eyes assessed the quick paced movements of the animal. He waited patiently for the Wyvern to turn swoop onto the damp grass and locate him behind the bramble-berry bush. And then there it was, pouncing through the air, mouth gaping and readying to howl ferociously. That was before Hadrian pointed a holly wand at its gaping hole and hissed the killing curse.

The body fell to the floor mid-jump.

It was the only way to do it. Wyvern skin was as tough as dragon hide and would be impossible to slice through; he could've gone for its eyes but the aim would be too restricted and Hadrian wasn't willing to risk it. He wouldn't have killed the animal if he could help it but sometimes death was the easy way out.

A metaphorical light bulb than appeared over Hadrian's head. It would be amusing to see the Slytherin's reaction when he appeared back in the dorm with Wyvern skin draped around his back. The problem was getting the skin off. Another knife was produced from his thigh area, this time curved. Hadrian applied the blade inside the Wyvern's wide open mouth and sliced it back, pulling apart half its cheek. The cut had also meant that he could get under the skin and cut the muscle off, thus separating the two. Hadrian had no more use for the knife and set about peeling off scaly skin with cutting curses and cleaning everything up deftly with a cleaning spell. The remaining talons, claws, teeth, bones and blood were also stored in phials transfigured from twigs to be put to use.

As he was washing off the last of the blood from the barks of trees, Hadrian was suddenly made aware of the hooves clacking towards him. He turned his head sharply and brought his wand out, eyes scanning for threats.

The body of a horse and torso of a man was made clearer as a Centaur galloped towards him; off in the distance, more were approaching.

Hadrian remained in his defensive stance as the Centaurs slowed to a stop in front of him.

"I am Amphion. Chief of the Centaurs." Pale blue eyes locked with jaded emerald curiously and threateningly.

"I am Hadrian Karys. What is your business here?"

"Wizard, let it be known that you have disrupted the alignment of Mars and Neptune with your meddling." Amphion warned.

"Excuse me?"

"Yet somehow, you've managed to align Saturn and Uranus. The Gods will not be kind to you yet child but Venus is ever awaiting. All I ask, is that you be careful." The Centaur's voice held solemnity and graveness and Hadrian was bewildered as to what they could mean.

"I beg your pardon sir, I do not understand."

"Call me Amphion, child. And no, I would expect you would not. Astrology is a difficult concept for humans to grasp. However, what I can tell you is that you wield a great power; a power that has the potential to change the future for the better." Amphion leaned on his staff and smiled benignly.

"I think you've said enough Amphion." Another Centaur interrupted.

"Do not order me around Thereus. You know it is not wise." Amphion growled sharply, "As for you, young Hadrian, you may or may not be aware but this night you've performed a great favour for us Centaurs."

"I have?" The teenager was getting more and more confused by the second and it wasn't a feeling he welcomed often if ever.

"Yes. That Wyvern that you just killed, was causing great havoc amongst our foals and our weapons proved no good against it. Thankfully, its met its end, and its all down to you. You'll find that your deed will not be forgotten Mr Karys." Amphion was beginning to retreat at this stage and Hadrian had to raise slightly for it to catch up with them.

"Just to warn you, there was a Runespoor also looking for one of your foals here earlier."

"Oh don't you worry about that Hadrian." Thereus chuckled as he held up a familiar three headed snake before chucking it at Hadrian who caught it fluidly. The chestnut coloured Centaur eyed his quick reflexes calculatingly and appreciatively.

"I suggest you start heading back, child. It is not safe. But I expect you'll be able to able to look after yourself, being a member of the Karys bloodline and all." Amphion smiled, his lips turning up at the corners ever so slightly.

"I beg your pardon." he said flatly.

A deep chuckle slipped out of Amphion's lips, "You have the Olde Necros Demonas blood in you Hadrian. Only a few families ever did and they all past away. All except yours."

"What do you know about us?" Hadrian demanded.

"Your ancestors were a great help to us back in the 1800's. They helped us ward off a particularly nasty set of... creatures. And we will forever be in their debt. This is my final goodbye to you, child. Farewell."

And with that, the Centaur herd neighed, lifting their forelegs of the ground before turning and galloping off. Leaving Harry to stare after them in the dust, perplexed. Perhaps it wasn't a coincidence after all that he hadn't encountered more difficulties in the forest...

* * *

The journey back to Hogwarts was unexpectedly free of any obstacles -though Hadrian thought that that was due to the Centaurs lurking a distance behind him, simply watching. He jumped through an open window with ease and began his descent back to the dungeons. Inwardly, he was seething. His anger had returned and now he felt simmering rage towards the Slytherins who were so careless. He could've _died_. To his knowledge, the Slytherin Houses initiation test was never so risky; it was either casting a spell, enduring a curse or being engaged in political sparring. It evaluated your worth accordingly, measuring your stamina, skill or raw power.

Hadrian had awaited one of these tests since he'd started Hogwarts in this year and hadn't anticipated it so late but instead felt safe in the knowledge that he'd be able to accomplish the task with ease. So much for that comfort.

"Nundu." The wall slid open to reveal about ten or so Dark curses aimed his way. A scowl would've marred his face if he hadn't raised his Occlumency barriers so strongly.

"Protego. One would think you wanted me dead with all the belligerence you've been directing at me. On the other hand, you _did _send me into the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night. Levicorpus, Expelliarmus, Langlock. Idiot! Confringo!" Spells rolled off the tip of his tongue as Hadrian defended himself. Dolohov had attempted to Crucio him but he'd managed to blast the imbecile away. The Runespoor wrapped around a blade followed the Confringo and managed to nail the wall not a centimeter above the blonde's dizzying head. The shrill scream forced out of Dolohov managed to ease some of the tension off Hadrian's shoulders.

The remaining Slytherins -bar Tom- faltered as their wands sagged in their hands. Their eyes flicked towards Antonin Dolohov and the dead snake nailed to the door.

"How on earth have you managed to kill a Runespoor?" Abraxas croaked hoarsely, the hair on his arms raised with goosebumps.

"Never you mind." Hadrian said bluntly, his tone cold and hostile. He stalked towards the low coffee table, roughly kicking an unconscious Stacey Moon in the ribs as he went. He had no trouble with hitting girls and she was damn well lucky a gentle tap on the side was the only thing she got.

Cocking his head to the side, Hadrian considered Tom who seemed to have barely moved since he left. The only change was now that the brunette had his legs crossed and chin in one hand whilst the other drummed the armrest gently. He hadn't even risen when Hadrian had stepped through the entrance and all hell broke out.

Hadrian smiled derisively, "I brought you something back from my... trip."

Tom watched in muted confusion as jars and vials were placed before him. They seemed to contain black liquids, fangs, bones and other gory body parts of what seemed to be whatever other snakes Hadrian had stumbled across. Dear Merlin, did Karys get off on the massacre of reptiles?

Shock painted Riddle's face as finally, the animals skin was peeled off of Hadrian's back and thrown onto the floor. Tom bent down to pick it up and was stunned to see shiny black scales, a leathery snout and the tail and two legs of a Wyvern. The mouth was split into to on one side leading to the suspicion that the beast had been skinned in a very bloody and messy way.

"Oh and I nearly forgot!"

Tom could only watch in anticipation as Hadrian reached into another one of his pockets before bringing out a container full of... mushrooms.

His excitement deflated.

"Don't use them all at once will you now?" Hadrian said in a saccharine tone akin to the one Bellatrix favored.

He bent down to pick up a few of the jars he needed- he wan't going to waste them all on thankless Slytherins now was he?- and stashed them in his pockets, "You can keep the fur. I know how you Pureblooded folk adore animal skin."

Tom narrowed his eyes at the way Karys said _Pureblood_, for some reason those infuriatingly green eyes slid to him almost jeeringly when he said that. As the raven haired teen was about to turn away to proceed up those stairs and into his dorms, Tom threw a blocking curse in front of Hadrian.

"Not so fast Karys." he said sharply, glaring at the new boy's defiance. "Leave us." He ordered his elite. Even the dozing Moon was levitated away.

Hadrian kept his gaze locked to the ground -more so in annoyance than fear- as he heard more than saw the Slytherins shuffling around him and up the stairs to their respective dorms. It wasn't until he heard silence so deafening that you could hear a corpse scream did he lift his head and turn.

"Sit."

Hadrian had no desire to sit but his lethargy led his legs to his previously conjured chair. It seemed less comfortable than it had before. The pair stared at each other, neither showing any shred of emotion. All of a sudden, Hadrian felt a ghosting nudge on his Occlumency barriers. It seemed that this Tom Riddle wasn't as reckless and tyrannic as Voldemort. Nonetheless, Hadrian crept up on that prodding feeling in his mind and captured it, holding strongly even as it struggled. When the presence began to retreat, Hadrian still held on and was mildly surprised when he landed in Tom's mindscape. Memories flooded past him for a brief second before he was brutally kicked out. He'd only managed to see yesterdays recollections unfortunately. Hadrian's face reflected the perfect picture of innocence.

"So Karys... Mind telling me where you learnt that?" Tom asked defensively.

"Yes."

Tom scowled.

"It's just us here. And I promise not to breath a word of it to anyone." Tom offered again.

"I'm quite frankly insulted that you hold my intelligence in such a lowly position."

"I've had it with you Karys." Tom growled' "You waltz into Hogwarts, then worm your way into Slytherin House and manage to act like you own the place, despite being new. I've been nothing but accommodating towards you and yet, here you are displaying utter insolence and rudeness to the Head boy. And considering your intelligence, I've no doubt you're aware of where I stand in the Slytherin Hierarchy."

"Do think over what you have said Riddle. I didn't waltz into Hogwarts, I seeked your school as refuge, I didn't worm my way into your House- I was sorted. And I agree you have been accommodating at first but have I ever actively seeked out your or your peer's company any day? I think I've made it clear that I have no qualms with associating with other Houses and you demanding that I stop will not prevent it. Furthermore, I am bewildered as to why you are implying that I'm rude. Is it because I'm not one of those mindless sheep that succumb to your brain washing?" Hadrian argued back with just as much confidence.

Tom looked at him calculatingly.

"What do you think of the Dark Arts, Karys?" Tom asked quietly.

Hadrian was startled at the abrupt change of topic but kept it hidden. He'd have thought Tom would have liked to argue and curse him for disagreeing.

"There is no such thing."

"Excuse me?" Tom said flatly, a sneer painting his lips. And he'd thought this one would be different.

"You heard me Riddle."

"Are you delirious Karys? Or just simple? Have you forgotten that your parents died because of the war? A war led by a leader who is completely insane and obsessed with Dark magic? 'Evil' Magic." Grey eyes narrowed as Tom's patience began to whither. He was going to crucio the impudent boy soon, he was sure of it.

"Dark and Light magic do not exist. Different forms of magic merely co-exist; Dark magic is not evil and Light magic is not good. It depends entirely on the wizard's intent." Hadrian explained.

"Do carry on." Tom leaned back in his chair and crossed his ankles, his nonchalant posture contrasting from his actual eagerness.

"Some people are suited more towards particular branches of magic than others. For example, a wizard's magic may be more inclined towards 'Dark' magic, thus making them a 'Dark' Wizard. The same goes for a 'Light' wizard. However their affinity for that branch of magic does not limit them, it only takes practice and dedication to be more attuned to magics. "

"That may be so but wouldn't you say that Dark magic for example, is only used to harm others?" There was an excited gleam sparkling in Tom's eyes as he analyzed Hadrian Karys in an entirely different point of view. He'd also become a whole lot more attractive and that cute moue on his face was positively-

Tom abruptly shook his head internally and raised his Occlumency before his mind waded into dangerous waters.

"Not at all! Lets pretend someone was dying. Would you cast an AK and let their spirit depart painlessly or a Diffindo and let them bleed to death slowly and agonizingly. One is a Dark spell and the other Light however the Light does not sound all too pleasing given the situation does it?"

The Heir of Slytherin would definitely cast a Diffindo and let the person die slowly but he wasn't about to interrupt Hadrian.

"Neither are the 'Dark' spells all that bad. There are some very powerful healing rituals one could perform in order to restore their health when they are on the brink of death however it is classified as Dark and thus banned but the Ministry and illegal despite the good it could do for people. If we had done rituals like this more in the past, less of the Wizarding population would have died and there wouldn't have been such few of us today."

"Amazing." The brunette breathed lowly, completely taken in by the green eyed teen's calm logic. Coupled with that impressive display Hadrian put on earlier with his spellwork and his triumph in the Forest, Tom thought his arousal was completely justified.

"Though I do see a hole in your point Karys. If Dark magic could be of such use to wizards, why would the Ministry ban it?"

"Riddle do not pretend you are ignorant to the manipulations of the Government." Karys chuckled softly, music to Tom's ears. "Dark magic was prohibited because it would give wizards too much power and that would hinder what the Ministry was so good at. _Control_. Wizards would enhance their knowledge, become suspicious then aware of the Ministry's machinations and soon there would be an uprising. But perish the thought! Because soon there were all sorts of laws and people were talking of how Dark magic ruined your physical and mental state -which wouldn't have happened if you took necessary precautions- and how you'd go insane. It was a travesty of the truth, of course. Because Dark magic could do the complete opposite."

"But what if the current Ministry was radically redesigned?"

"Are you hinting at Grindlewald, Riddle?" Hadrian inquired with a soft tone but was met with silence. "Matters of the War are sensitive and the Headmaster has eyes and ears everywhere is Hogwarts you are aware no?"

Tom hummed. He didn't ask how Hadrian had pertained that last bit of information because the boy wouldn't tell. And so Tom let Karys keep his secrets; it was better to not seek his ire.

"I hate to have this conversation cut short but if that is all?" Hadrian smiled thinly.

Frozen in his seat, Tom sat contemplating and barely noticed Karys getting up, vanishing his seat and mumbling goodnight before suddenly a roguish grin threatened to split his face in two.

Tom Riddle was definitely going to have a lot of fun with the Karys Heir.


End file.
